Louise's Debt
by baddie-boop
Summary: Louise, now 18 years old, is struggling with both heart break and a heavy debt she has to pay. Logan, who now works and lives with the Belcher family, deals with falling for the one person he shouldn't love: his manager's daughter. LOUIGAN! Rated M for sex, drugs, and cursing. I'm new here, so please rate and review
1. Chapter 1

A dim light hung above a worn down table, illuminating the faces of Louise, Zeek, Andy, Olly, and, the latest member, Zeek's half-brother: Hunter. Beneath the serious expressions of the four teenagers was a pile of buttons acting as casino tokens to Louise's latest poker game. Despite the disastrous events of Louise's last underground casino night, she had unsurprisingly not learned her lesson. Now, she was trying to gain back the college tuition she had lost to one of her previous failed get-rich-quick schemes.

"Come on, Hunter! You feeling lucky!?", Louise screamed, staring deviously into his half lidded eyes.

"Oh, please. Louise, I know you're bluffing."

"Am I, Hunt? Am I? I guess you're just going to have to put down and find out."

In truth, Louise had a _horrible_ hand - and absolutely no money to repay any previous debts to the many people she owed dough to. But, even with her lack of money, good cards, and, well, restraint, Louise was overflowing with pride. This was something she refused to lose in exchange for retaining a few dollars.

"Okaaaaay. Well, if you have such good card, you wouldn't mind giving up something a bit more...detrimental than just money."

"Ooh, 'detrimental'. Long word buddy. Has somebody been paying attention in school?"

"Cut the crap, Louise. Are you in or out?"

"You beat your scrawny ass I'm in!"

From behind, Louise could hear Tina, who was serving sodas to the players, anxiously whisper her name - a feeble attempt at dissuading her sister from getting into anymore trouble. But Louise didn't care. She was on a roll.

"Shake on it." He said, with a disconcertingly intense gaze. So much so, it even made Louise shudder.

"Uh, why?"

"Shake on it before I tell you."

"Um, fine."

Timidly, Louise reached her hand towards Hunter's greasy palms. But then, remembering that everyone was watching her, she audaciously thrusted her hand into his and gave it a sturdy shake.

"Good, good." Hunter said, sitting back into his chair and taking a long sip from his soda can.

"Um, isn't that can empty?"

"It's for effect, Louise."

"I, uh, what? Ugh, no. This is beside the point. What is it that you want, Hunter!? The suspense is killing me!"

He swirled his empty can with a stretched smile, before a small chuckle left him.

"I want...a night with you."

"WHAT!?" Screamed Louise, Tina, and Gene together.

"I, um, could you repeat that, s-sir. I don't think I, uh, heard you-"

"No, you heard me just fine. I want a night with you. I mean, it doesn't really have to be _you_ in particular. But I'm tired of being a sixteen year old who has to lie about his virginity. What's even more annoying is that I can't even count the number of times I almost got some poontang, but missed out on it because the girl backed out last second. I'm tired of it. And, guess what, you're the one who's going to relieve me of this embarrassment."

Louise's gut tightened into knots, and she could feel something coming up her throat as her palms began to sweet. Above her thumping heart, she stammered,"Ew, no, Hunter. No. You're b-being gross."

"I'm being _honest_. And it seems like you're being _chicken._ "

"I,uh, I…"

Louise weighed her options. For the first time, she wanted to be a yellow belly over a...a "cherry popper".

"Frankly, Hunter, I would rather be _that_ than yours for one night."

"Well, too bad, Louise. You shook on it."

"So!? It's my body!"

"But it was also you're word."

Louise suddenly felt the weight of eyes peering down on her. In some of them, she saw pity. But in others, she saw impatience.

In a painful rush of memories, Louise was reminded of all the times she had pressured others into paying up their debts. Olly: drinking toilet water, Andy: pouring lemon juice in his eyes, Zeek: streaking through school. It all came back to her. She _had_ to do this. For all the pain and humiliation she had caused those she called friends, she had to do this.

"Fine." She breathed out, the sound of Gene's and Tina's exhales of shock being heard in the background."I'll do it."

Hunter gave out one last smirk before cheerily saying,"Great! Put down your cards, Lou-Lou!"

With her hands shaking slightly, she brought down a straight. And, with the force of pulling the trigger of a gun, Hunter cruelly revealed a flush.

It was over. It was all over.

"So, I hope this isn't your first time, bunny girl!"

Louise remained silent, her gut churning and her heart pounding. But the glare she gave him said everything.

"O-o-oh, you haven't!? Even after dating 'Regular Sized Rudy' for, what, three years?"

In truth, Louise and Rudy really didn't do anything. And not because Louise didn't want to. In fact, she was quite desperate for something to happen. Their relationship consisted mostly of visiting the wharf's arcade and giving each other piggyback rides.

Last New Year's Eve, the two had gotten the farthest they would ever get. After drinking down Coca Cola mixed with vodka, the couple found themselves sucking face in Scott Sherman's bedroom. Their cone shaped party hats and tinsel scarves were peeled off like their clothes as they frantically kissed. In the pitch dark, they briefly paused to stare into each other's eyes, before Louise placed Rudy's hand on the cup of her pale green bra. Then everything was interrupted by the strange, gasping sound he made. He fell to the bed, hands covering his eyes. Never once actually looking at Louise, Rudy admitted that for the past year he had been madly in love with his childhood friend and, at the time, Louise's best friend: Jessica Attkins. Three weeks after that gut wrenching confession, and Louise was still completely turned off to the thought of even holding hands with someone of the inferior gender. Even baby face Boo Boo (who had more recently become "Bad Boy Boo Boo" due to some drug charges) couldn't interest Louise.

"Look, our pasts shouldn't be involved in this, Hunter! So stop dawdling and let's get this over with!"

"What? You mean right now?"

"Yeah, jackass." Louise didn't care that there were so many eyes focused on her, probably imagining her suffocating beneath Hunter's sweaty, bulging beer belly.

"Well, I don't have any protection. And I imagine your parents are coming home soon."

"Fine, we'll do it tomorrow. Let's just get this thing over with."

"No can do. I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow."

"Oh, then maybe we should just...call this whole thing off."

"I don't think so. As soon as I get back from Florida, you better empty your calendar. Because we're losing our v-cards!"

And with that, Louise vomited onto the poker table.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of wheels rolling on concrete echoed through the alley way as Logan, on his skateboard, rode home. Passing through the shaded space and into the glaring outdoors, he could feel hot rays of sun beat down on him. A breeze softly sifted through the strands of his blonde hair, giving him a calming sensation.

Yesterday was Logan's twenty sixth birthday. He had gotten tanked before spending a night of sloppy kisses with the bartender: a blonde named Beatrice. And now, with a raging hangover, he was going to work: Bob's Burgers delivery man. He's not really sure how he ended up attaining such a job, especially one that involved working with his nemesis. But he had an odd connection with Bob. When he and his friends, Scotty and Jacob, all applied for summer jobs at the one place that was hiring and was closest to the wharf, they ended up at his restaurant. Scotty and Jacobs antics of flirting with Tina, eating gum found under tables, and giving each other swirlies proved them to be a nuisance for Bob. And, truth be told, Logan would've been doing just as much dumb shit had he not been so busy arguing with, ugh, Louise.

Those two ended up being the best employees out there, despite their shared trait of lethargy, because they were both competing each other on who could win Bob's affections first. Logan ended up bussing tables within mere seconds, volunteering to clean toilets, and even jumping rooftops to finish a delivery before Louise was done washing a plate of dishes. Granted, Logan lost often - and he even broke his leg when hopping from roof to roof. But his time spent at Bob's Burgers contained some of the most memorable moments he had ever had, and he found himself being drawn more and more to this odd family. Even his mother became jealous of how often Logan would do the night shift at the restaurant. In reality, the night shift, which lasted three hours after the restaurant's closing, was watching "Banjo" with the family or spying on raccoons with Gene, Tina, and Louise. And, even after nine years of working for the Belchers, Logan was still doing the same activities that he was doing as a teenager.

Pushing the front door open, he found the entire family sitting at a booth, eating breakfast.

"O-o-oh, someone's doing the walk of sha-a-am." Linda howled from in between a glum looking Louise and spaced out Gene."So who was the lucky lady?"

"No one, Mrs. Belcher." Logan said playfully, trying to skirt around the truth. He changed the topic quickly, saying,"Why are you guys in the restaurant right now?"

"Well, if you weren't 'out', you would've known that the kitchen stove broke. So we've got to use the one in the restaurant. You want some bacon?" Linda held out a plate of greasy red strips that, despite their well cooked nature, made Logan's stomach twist.

"No thanks, I'm not feeling really good. I'm actually gonna take a nap. Call me when I'm needed." He said, heading down into the basement.

In the beginning of Logan's employment, he would, on the rare occasion, stay the night. If there was heavy downpour or he was too tired to ride his skateboard home, then Linda would make up a bed for Logan in the basement using an air mattress and several tablecloths. But when things started to go wrong at home, and Logan found his mother refusing him access to his own room, or his parents arguing became too tiring to bare, Logan began spending several days, uninterrupted, in the basement.

There was never an official moment that Logan moved in. It all just gradually happened. He found a bed frame abandoned in the city dump, which, after refurbishing, held the air mattress perfectly. After he got two similar sets of bedding for Christmas on accident, one stayed with his mother, while the other went on his new sleeping arrangment. After overturning a stray waste basket, he began to cover his new "night stand" with a lamp, collections of stale gum, and the various tin foil sculptures he made while bored. And, finally, as if a final goodbye to his family, he packed up all his clothes and brought it to the basement.

He still talked to his family, mostly his father though. Actually, in that moment, Logan looked on his phone to find his dad had texted him, asking if Logan wanted to join him and his new girlfriend, a reserved vegan woman, for dinner. As much as Logan loved his father, he was not fond of tofu and soy milk, so he made up some excuse about being packed at work.

Just as Logan sat down, his bones making a painful creaking sound of exhaustion, he heard the sound of sneakers climbing down the stairs: Louise.

"Hey, idiot." She scoffed.

"Sup, dumbass." He said, laying down on the bed, arms folded behind his head. The shift of weight on his mattress suggested that Louise had sat down at the foot of his bed.

Opening his eyes slightly, Logan was taken aback by how exhausted she looked. Despite Louise refusing to wear makeup (claiming it "suffocated" her face), she usually had a fairly bright complexion. But, in that moment, she looked sickly, with pale skin, dark rings beneath her eyes, and chapped lips. Hunched over, she seemed withered and decrepit. Despite the pang of ache in his head telling him not do so, Logan lifted himself onto his elbows.

"Hey, Louise. Are you alright?"

"Did I just discern the sound of care in your voice, Logan Barry Bush?", she said, deviously. For a brief moment, Logan saw the usual sharpness he could find in Louise's eyes. But it faded and was replaced with a dull exhaustion.

"Shut your butt, coconuts. I'm just trying to get you out of my room."

"Your room!? You mean my basement."

"I think if you've slept, farted, and pissed in a room, it's yours."

"You've pissed in this room?"

"You better believe it. No quit the chatter, cheese platter. What do you want?"

"Logan…can you keep a secret?"

"Wow, Louise. Yeah, totally." He said, now sitting up, wincing at the pain of such movement, and crossing his legs beneath him.

"Ok, calm down there, Mr. Fraund. It's not a big deal. I mean, there's nothing you can really do about it. I'm just asking you so I can know…what to expect."

"Uh oh."

"Yeah, so, uh, starting from the beginning: last night, I had another, ya know, poker night."

"I figured. My poster of Megan fox is noticeably missing."

"Yeah, you're not getting that back by the way. But, anyway, I was having a poker night with the usual idiots that I can rip off. But then, Zeek - you know Zeek: fat, ugly, stupid. Good guy - brought his cousin or half brother or something, and, 'ha-ha' turns out he was far better at poker than I thought. And…I now owe him…"

"I can give you some money if you need it."

"It's not money that Hunter asked for."

"Then what?" Logan's heart began to quicken as he put the pieces together.

"He wants me to…to…pop his cherry."

"Oh, Louise. No."

"Yeah, I know. It's bad."

"Dude, you gotta say no. Or tell Linda and Bob. Or do anything other than…that."

"I would love to! But I'm a man - woman - of my word. And I lost. Fair and square."

"Then why are you telling me this now?"

"Because, I mean, you are clearly not a virgin."

"'Clearly'? What does that even mean?"

"You literally just got some action last night!"

"Okay, yeah. I did. But it's not like I'm an expert or…" Logan trailed off. He didn't want to be arrogant, but it wasn't like he actually was as inexperienced as he was describing himself to be.

Logan was very aware that girls, and even a few men, found him to be attractive. He never really had an issue with finding a chick, even as a child. Not only because he was blonde, blue eyed, tall, and with a strong jaw, but because he knew the "lingo" of romance. Especially with sex.

Logan understood that when you're young, sex is often liberating and experimental. Treating it calmly and not too seriously causes the situation to be more fun and playful then committal, and made things less stressful. He had found that the best way to get any action was by staying up late with your female friend, watching horror movies, bringing up the topic of existence, and then sex, and then, casually and calmly, asking if your friend would gift you with a night of romance. Everyone wants to have sex. It's in our DNA. The trick is to get the person comfortable enough to admit such a desire.

So, with that knowledge in mind, Logan was quite successful with the ladies. Before he had moved in with the Belchers, he would avoid his mother by spending the night with various female friends. Many of those females he was still on good terms with, and it wasn't awkward at all. There were no feelings, no heart breaks, no nothing. Just good nights spent under sheets.

"Okay, just spill the beans, dude. Why did you tell me?"

"It's just…I'm a virgin and-"

"You're a virgin!? Jeezus, Louise! That makes things, like, ten times worse. You are literally losing your v-card, because of blackmail, to a total, complete dickhead."

"God, don't have a crap-attack! Don't you think I know that already? All night I've just been thinking about how absolutely horrible and degrading this whole thing is going to be! I mean, thank god I'm not in high school anymore - or everyone would be talking about it in class! But, I just need to know…what was your first time like?"

"My first time?" Logan said, thinking back to that day that was, oddly, still quite fresh in his mind, despite it occurring so long ago. Just thinking about it caused his fingertips to tingle out of anxiety, as if he were in her bedroom at that moment again."I was pretty young when it happened. Only…sixteen, I think. And she was…well, forty."

"Forty!?"

"Yeah. I was in Palm Springs, visiting my grandparents at this hotel they owned. But they were super cheap and had just invited me over to clean their pools - which totally sucked. I did get a nice tan though-"

"Logan, focus!"

"Yeah, sorry. But, uh, when I was cleaning pools, there was this really beautiful lady. I mean, she was forty, but she was like this…retired German model who had been washed up in drugs and the 90s or whatever. But she was really pretty, and really tan, and really…oily. And she would sunbath topless by the pool. And I remember she caught me staring and she just gave me this…this smile. Like, as if she just knew what I wanted, and it was okay. And she rolled over and I saw her..yeah."

Logan was so absorbed in the retelling that he was even beginning to smell the coconut sunscreen she would lather on. But he came to his senses once he felt Louise's slightly freaked out gaze on him. He cleared his throat and continued.

"But, yeah, I lost it to her. I was delivering towels to her room and she was in the shower and, yeah, I just kinda joined her."

"Okay, but what was it like?"

"Uh, what?"

"I mean, did it hurt? I know that it's not suppose to hurt for dudes, but did it? And we're you nervous? And did that make you mess up? I mean, did you even…make it to the finishing line?"

"Um, no. It didn't hurt at all. And I was more…in love than nervous. I was just really determined to lose it, so there wasn't really any time to be nervous. And, yeah, I…made it to finish line. But, you have to understand, Louise, my first time will be nothing like yours. I'm male and I did it with someone who I genuinely liked, and who was experienced, and wasn't blackmailing me."

"Okay, okay. You're right. But I know that you popped quite a few cherries yourself. What was that like?"

"I-what? How did you know about that?"

"Um, we went to the same high school, Logan. News travels fast."

"So? I had graduated long before you entered."

"Yeah, but many of the girls you were 'with' hadn't. And I heard it from them. Or, at least, from Tina, who had heard it from them. And your friends, Jake and Scott or whatever, told me about it too."

"Really? God, I told them it was a secret."

"Yeah, those two are not tight lipped. Especially Scott. I know all about that fun lil' sleepover you two had when you guys were ten-"

"Oh, wow! Changing the subject! Um, the, uh, the girls….they were…I dunno. Nice. Well, not all of them. A few of them had issues. Sometimes the situation was awkward and…emotional. I dunno, what do you wanna know?"

"Ok, what was the worst situation that ever happened?"

"Well, one time, her father came in and chased me out a window. Another time, her dog bit me in the ass while we were doing it."

"No, I'm talking about where the girl or the…the sex was bad."

"Okay, yeah. There were definitely some doozies. The first time is never pleasant. On a typical night, the girl would be in pain and wouldn't be comfortable about her body. But, worst case scenario, she would cry. Like, sob. And I just…felt…gross. About myself. About what I was doing. And then I wouldn't be able to finish because I felt so bad. And we would just awkwardly lay there. And, sometimes, the girl wouldn't want to be there. And it was, like, really obvious, that she was just there to piss someone off, or to prove a point, or something. And the sex was emotionless and awkward and nerve-racking. And, after, we would both regret what we had done. And that's what it's going to be like with this guy, dude. I mean, hate to break it to ya, but this will probably be one of the worst moments of your life. It'll be awkward and uncomfortable, and it'll probably hurt, and, after it's all over, you'll feel gross."

"Yeah, I know. I know more than you could imagine. I haven't even done it yet, and I already feel gross beyond belief."

For a moment, there was just silence as Louise looked down at her sneakers. Logan stared at the dark haired girl beside him and, with this odd fluttering of his heart, realized, for the first time, that Louise was a female. It had never occurred to him before that she was of the opposite sex, because he never treated her any differently from how he would with a guy. He didn't censor his sleazy jokes or soften the punches he would send to her shoulder. Touching her wasn't a big deal, as it could never be interpreted as anything sexual or romantic - mostly due to their shared hatred of each other, but also their wide age gap. Logan was eight years older than Louise, and couldn't possibly imagine doing anything romantic towards someone he had seen freak out over the possibility of actually buying a bra, or had required his assistance in grabbing things she was too short to reach.

Now, Louise was no longer the little kid who avoided topics that even remotely involved love. She was the woman who was soon going to give her body away to some fucking slob. And, shockingly, it wasn't that bad of body. Louise had earned Linda's curves. And though she wasn't as skinny as Kate Moss or something, she just ended up being well proportioned and...soft. Like, really though. The previous ache in Logan's joint were no longer dying for rest, but for…a hug, or something, from Louise. She just seemed so warm and gentle in that moment - which were words that Logan would have never used to describe someone like her. But here he was, dying to touch his fiery, short-tempered nemesis.

Logan, shaking his head slightly, snapped back to reality, and averted his eyes from her body. He scolded himself repeatedly, blaming his sudden bout of insanity on sleep deprivation or whatever, because there was no way in Hell that Logan was falling for Louise Belcher: his annoying, bratty, evil nemesis.

Realizing that the silence had gone on for too long, Logan scooted closer to Louise and put a hand on her shoulder in an effort to bring her back to reality.

"So, um, why didn't you lose it to Rudy? Didn't you guys date for, like, three years?"

"Yeah, we did. And I wanted to. I really did. But Rudy always…resisted my advances."

"Why?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, she grumbled."You want the full reason?"

"Uh, yeah. I got the time."

Louise got comfortable, scooting back so that she could rest against Logan's poster covered wall before continuing.

"When Rudy and I started dating, I was kinda aware that he and my friend Jessica Attkins - you remember her - were, like, a bit too close for 'just friends'. And, I mean, it was kinda bothersome that the two were already close long before they had met me. But whenever I would ask Rudy about it, he would get all grossed out and say since Jessica was the daughter of his dad's girlfriend, she was like a sister to him. Which I believed. For the most part. Now that I look back on it, I think I was just lying to myself. I really liked Rudy."

This shocked Logan, who had seen Rudy around town. To him, all Rudy seemed to be was some short kid who wheezed a lot and loved to tag along on Louise's adventures.

"Um, why?"

"Because he was sweet, Logan. Crazy sweet. And he…never questioned me, ya know?"

"Wow, that doesn't sound totally abusive at all."

"No. not like that.", She said, sounding rather irritated."I just…I didn't need to explain myself to him. He let me be me. Not only that, but he helped me be me. And that felt really good. And I wanted to…show him my gratitude, I guess. But Rudy would always get all stiff and weird and wouldn't act normally for a few days whenever I tried anything. So I just gave up completely. And there really was no difference between when we were friends and when we were a couple. The most 'romantic' thing we did was hold hands and have more 'alone time' together. But that was it. And I was, ya know, fine with it. I wasn't going to pressure him."

"But then, after Rudy and I had dated for about a year, Jessica broke up with her longtime boyfriend and had all this free time now. And Rudy invited her to everything. Even to our 'alone time'. And he would literally leave at the drop of a hat when she asked him to hang with her. And, I mean, he would bring me along. But I was just third-wheeling their little love feast and it was so embarrassing, because she was my best friend and he was my boyfriend. Wasn't the attention suppose to just be all on me? What's even worse was that I really, really liked Jessica. I mean, she was my best friend. We talked about everything. From her crappy parents to even our fucking fears. I thought I knew everything about her, but it turns out she was holding onto this really big secret about Rudy. But honestly even now I can say, confidently, that she's not a bad person. Actually, she's a really, really good person. She's nice, and patient, and smart, and kinda shy. And she's pretty, too. Which sucks. She's a redhead, and has great skin, and is, annoyingly, always skinny. I've never been jealous of someone for their looks. But I just found myself desperate to look like her. I remember I one time borrowed this dress she owned because I had spilled soda on myself. And the dress was totally something I would never wear. It was all floral, and cheesy, and feminine. But, I remember, when Rudy saw me wearing it, he was actually affectionate towards me. He even kissed me in front of people. But as soon as I got into my normal clothes, we went back to just holding hands."

"But, yeah, anyway, I was, obviously, ignoring a very apparent problem. And then, early this year, it was really clear that Rudy and Jessica had gotten into some sort of huge fight, because they, not only, stopped talking entirely, but also avoided each other like crazy. She even stopped talking to me, I guess because she didn't want to be reminded about Rudy. When she came up in our conversations, Rudy would get all cranky and mopey. And he would have these sudden changes in mood. He would just really suddenly kiss me, square on the lips. And, I realize now, that Jessica was probably in the room when he would do that. And then, Jessica's friend kind of tricked Rudy and Jessica into talking by locking them in a closet. And this happened at this New Year's Party at Scott Sherman's house that I was at. And I remember walking to the living room and seeing Rudy burst out of the closet, and Jessica was in there looking really sad. And he came over to me and asked me if I wanted to get drunk, which was weird because Rudy had always refused to drink before. But we did it. And we got plastered and went to a bedroom and we almost…did it."

Logan, who's been listening so intensely to the story that he could even see Louise stumbling around in the dark, trying to peel off her usual oversized shirt and track shorts, while Rudy sat on the bed, shirtless and spaced out. And, suddenly, Logan felt this sort of sharp pang in his gut at the thought of Rudy kissing Louise, leaving a knot to form in his throat. Was he actually feeling jealousy? Frantically, he came up with the possibility that he was just feeling jealous _for_ Louise, and not of Rudy.

"But then he just flipped out." Louise continued, so immersed in her own recollection of the past events that she wasn't even aware of the panic look Logan had, "And he…he finally admitted it. He finally said that he was in love with Jessica. And had been. For a year. And maybe he didn't know that he was lying to himself, but I knew that he had been in love with - or had had, at least, feelings for Jessica for much longer than that"

Logan could hear the wavering in Louise's voice, and he saw that her eyes were beginning to water. But after she took a deep breath in, Louise sounded less upset then before.

"And I guess we broke up then, because we haven't spoken in like three months. After he said it, I just put my clothes back on and left. I didn't even tell Gene I was going home. I just walked out. And I don't know what to feel. Part of me is happy for them. Like, genuinely. Because they're both good people. But another, much larger, part of me is pissed, and angry, and sad, and humiliated, and exposed, and…betrayed. Because I wasted three years on this guy who didn't even love me. Because both of them didn't have the guts to just give it to me straight. Because they used me as a tool for something much larger. Because I trusted them both, and yet they didn't even care. They're probably not even thinking about how badly they hurt me. They're probably just thinking about each other. Because…I didn't get the happy ending I wanted."

Louise curled her knees up to her chin and buried her face into them. Dark strands of hair fell over her, hiding what Logan knew were her tears. Her shoulder blades began to softly shake from the crying. Logan didn't feel awkward or even afraid. He just felt sympathy, wrapping his arm around her hunched over figure and placing his chin on her pink beanie.

"Do you think you loved Rudy?" He whispered.

"I don't think it's love if the feelings weren't returned." She said, not lifting up her head, but removing her hands from her eyes."But, yeah. What I felt for him definitely wasn't just a crush. I don't know what to call it. But I cared for him. A lot. I wanted a future with him. I couldn't even imagine life without him."

"Okay. But the real question is, do you still feel that way about him? Do you still care for him?"

Louise lifted her head, red rimmed eyes now wide open and drained of all tears. She thought for a while, zoning out as she stared at a corner of the basement. And then she let out a long sigh, before placing her head on Logan's shoulder - which was already enough of an answer to his question, but she still spelled it out for him.

"Yeah, I do. As stupid, and embarrassing, and unlike me as it sounds. I do."


	3. Chapter 3

Standing at Wonder Wharf's edge, Logan looked out at the setting sun, which resembled something of a shining penny being dipped into a horizon of fire. Despite his home town's usual sleazy nature, it was moments like these that he was quite grateful to live here - especially by the ocean, where the sunset couldn't look any prettier. Back at his parent's house, the sky was hidden by surrounding tall buildings - preventing him from really enjoying the setting sun. However, back then he would've much rather stay indoors and play video games instead of staring up into the sky. And it wasn't like Logan had become some sort of nature lover or whatever. But he had come to enjoy looking up into the heavens when he needed to unwind.

He leaned his elbows onto the rotten wood of the pier's fence, the distant squawking of nearby scavenging seagulls being more of a comforting sound rather than an annoying one. Having just finished his day of deliveries with a raging hangover and no nap - thanks to Louise - Logan was quite tired. As a result, he found his mind frequently wandering off.

Even though his talk with Louise had prevented him from attaining some much needed sleep, he was grateful that it had happened. He felt this odd sense of peace and completion from the conversation, as well as the pleasant feeling of a strengthened bond with the Belcher girl.

This was not the first "deep talk" he and Louise had had. Despite their shared hatred for each other, the two found they could confide in each other. Logan was just the right amount of immaturity, and Louise was the right amount of maturity, causing them to be equals when they talked about serious topics. One of those types of conversations had actually occurred under a sunset. They were sitting beneath the pier, high enough so as to avoid the incoming tide.

Louise told Logan about how her family had almost died beneath this pier when a crazy tart and her boyfriend had tried to drown Bob. At first, the story was sort of funny - especially when Louise describe the terrible singing that came from the insane woman that tried to kill them. But then, her voice suddenly catched when she began to describe the fear she felt when she actually thought her dad was gone - and then she cried. Logan had never seen her cry before, but it was strangely both terrifying and gratifying to finally witness it. He had absolutely no idea about what to do though, fearing that if he tried to hug her, she would bite him or something. However, he was glad that Louise not only turned out to actually have genuine feelings for others, but that she was also sharing them with Logan - who had previously assumed that he was completely unimportant to the kid. Logan felt oddly entitled now that he had Louise's secrets, as if mattering to her made him just matter in general.

Now, twenty six years old and still standing on that pier, Logan realized that that familiar feeling of entitlement was appearing again. He couldn't remember the last time he and Louise had had a heart to heart. Though he never really saw a distance form in their friendship, he was now realizing that the time he used to spend with Louise really had decreased after she started dating Rudy. Briefly, a feeling of anger hit him when he realized that the separation that had formed between them was all for nothing, now that Rudy was with Jessica.

But there was something else growing between them. Logan could feel it. He wasn't one to deny feelings, so he certainly wasn't going to ignore the obvious weirdness of his own emotions today. Repeatedly, he had gotten jealous, territorial, and, even, amazed by Louise, and he was praying that it wasn't because he was actually developing feelings for a girl eight years younger than him, who was recently heartbroken, and is the daughter of his manager. Because if so, that would possibly be one of the most stupidest things he had ever done. But the repetitive scoldings he was giving himself was becoming tiresome, and, just for a brief moment, within his own head, he wanted to actually imagine what life would be like with Louise as his girlfriend.

She would be bashful. But not in the cutesy, blushing way that most girls do. She would be mean, and would tease him, and push him around in front of other people. But Logan liked to imagine that, behind closed doors, she would be incredibly affectionate. Hugging him and peppering kisses all over his face. Not saying a single word, but expressing how much she loved him in how tightly she would hug him. And they wouldn't ever be the couple that sat at the table, eating dinner, saying nothing, and staring at their own phones. They would be the couple that got kicked out of restaurants for being too loud or for telling off a rude waiter. And they wouldn't buy each other flowers or candy or something. As gifts, they would just kiss each other and stay in bed all day. And they would fight, often. They would probably piss each other off all the time. But it would be a good kind of angry. The one that was more thrilling than actually hurtful. Both he and Louise loved to argue, and because of that, they never actually said anything truly hurtful to the other. Usually, it was very obvious that they were joking around when they were debating. And they wouldn't be able to bare too much time spent away from each other, which was good, as they were already living together. But sometimes, when the other was feeling clingy, they would spend every minute together. Eating breakfast in bed, taking a bath together, and holding hands everywhere they walked. And they would be comfortable when together. There wouldn't really be a need for clothes, even. Or makeup, or combing hair, or losing weight. Logan was very aware that Louise was quite brazen about her body, as he had often caught her walking around upstairs in nothing but a top and underwear. And the thought of Louise, in nothing but the familiar sushi printed panties she so often wore to bed, popped into his mind. She would be laying on his bed sheets, hair a mess and finally free of her usual pink hat. And her legs, smooth and tan, would be spread - he stopped his own thoughts right there.

Ignoring the odd tingle that was forming on the back of his neck and in…other places as well, he abruptly left the pier's side and walked quickly towards the restaurant. He was back to scolding himself again, and trying to conjure up images of Louise when she was nine years old and sick with the flu, vomiting into Logan's lap. He slowed down when he saw her in the upstairs window. Shamelessly, she had left the living room curtains open, and just happened to be strewn across the couch, in pajama bottoms and a black bra. Logan's heart was beating furiously now, and there was a sort of throbbing ache in an area that he was rather ashamed of in this moment. Tearing his eyes from the sight above, he pushed into the restaurant and made a beeline for the basement.

Down there, he did a belly flop onto his bed, burying himself in the soft blankets. After laying for a few minutes, he began to pick up on a sweet, familiar scent that was in that particular area of his blankets. Ashamedly, he buried his nose into it, breathing it all in, having realized that the smell of mint shampoo and cinnamon flavored gum as Louise's. Opening his eyes, he found that he was, unknowingly, laying in Louise's teal hoodie, which explained why it was so strong in her scent. The garment must have fallen off when she was sitting on the bed, as she had entered Logan's room with it tied around her waist. He looked to the basement stairs, to make sure that nobody was entering anytime soon, before pulling the hoodie to his nose and breathing in deeply. His heart was racing, and the tingle on the back of his neck was now a numbing buzz.

Sighing, he felt his heartbeat slow, and he placed the hoodie under the overturned wastebasket that acted as a nightstand. It wasn't that late, but he felt absolutely exhausted, and didn't have the energy to face Louise after doing such a "Hannibal-Lecter-like" thing to her hoodie. He fell asleep, dreaming of that night under the pier with Louise. And, with great reluctance, he finally admitted it.

This…"thing" that was growing between them, it hadn't just started blooming now. It had been growing since he had seen Louise cry in front of him, under a sky full of stars with ocean brine kissing their toes, her tears mixing with the salty sea water. And now, it was too late to really do anything to stop it.

In his head, the pier's frothy tide came in and out. In and out, in and out, in and out. Over and over again, lulling him into a hypnotic rhythm.


	4. Chapter 4

Louise woke to the sound of Linda belting out a song Gene had composed earlier this month. Something about tacos or whatever. She could hear Gene pressing away at his keyboard, most likely oblivious to the poor quality of their mother's voice. Her father was probably ignoring the ruckus. Instead, putting all his focus into perfectly flipping a burger. He may even be providing a high pitched voice for the spatula - a habit that Louise found herself doing more and more, especially when learning to drive. And Tina, who was usually away at University, learning to become a journalist, was probably up, having been awake for hours, writing down sappy love stories in her notebook - an activity that she denied continuing past her teenage years, but was quite clearly lying. And then there was Logan, who Louise wasn't really sure about. Maybe he was doing push ups, which would explain why he was so toned. Or maybe he was returning from a late night "hang out" with some female friend. Or, possibly, he was lying in bed like Louise. Listening to the noises of everyone around him, and just soaking in the feeling of utter security that came with observing Belcher family members.

But never mind that, she thought, swinging her feet onto the floor and lifting herself up - a crack coming from her stiff spin. She stretched out her arms, before slipping on a tee shirt, torn up jeans, and her usual pink hat. Hopping about on one foot, she pulled on a sneaker, grabbed a piece of toast that her mother was preparing within the kitchen, and headed downstairs - listing everything she had to do today in her head. She rushed past her father, who was behind the grill, and Logan, who was mopping away behind the cash register. Seconds before she could push open the front door, she heard her father call her name. Turning, she found Bob's head poking out of the pickup window.

"Louise, where do you think you're going? It's Saturday. This is usually when we're at our busiest. You need to stay and help out!"

"Dad, I've got things to do."

"What things?"

"Things. Just have Logan do my stuff."

The two looked to Logan, who, completely space out, was numbly staring at the sud covered floor.

"Logan?" Louise called. Sleepily, he lifted his head. But, oddly, when his eyes met hers, they immediately averted, and he grunted in response.

"You don't mind taking my shift, do you? Nobody orders stuff this early in the morning."

"Nope." He said.

"Fine. But don't take to long." Bob said before going back to grilling.

After making sure Bob was focused on his cooking, Louise quietly sat down on the stool closest to Logan.

"Wow, Logan. You didn't even complain at my slackness. What kind of drugs have you been doing?" She said, snidely.

"Nothing." Logan responded, not even looking up from his cleaning. Louise's eyes widened, shocked by his lack of a witty remark in response to her own snideness. More seriously, she asked, "Uh, you feeling okay, Logan?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because you seem kinda-"

"Look, I'm just kinda tired because you were jabbering so much yesterday that I couldn't even take a nap." Logan said this so loudly and so sharply, that even Bob had paused in his cooking to listen in on whatever was going on. Louise's face felt hot, and a tingle went down her spine as the embarrassment of being put in her place in front of Bob took over her. And then she just felt annoyed, and slightly betrayed, that Logan was belittling her honesty to him - making it seem as if she was just whining to him about some silly drama in her life.

"Um, whatever." She said before rushing out the restaurant, not turning back to see Logan, all color from his face draining once he realized what he had done, smack his forehead into the broom handle out of frustration at himself.

* * *

Still fuming slightly over Logan's snappiness, Louise brazenly pulled open Teddie's garage door without even asking him for permission. She excused such impoliteness by saying that Teddie would most likely be asleep right now, so there was no point in waking him up for something she could do herself. Within the garage, she searched amongst the piles of car parts and tools before spotting a stray bike, which she picked up and rode out of the musky garage.

After spending an hour or so riding through busy streets with a printed map held up to her eyes, Louise manage to park by a Planned Parenthood building. Quickly, she entered, not wanting to be spotted by anyone on the outside.

Louise was planning on getting an IUD planted in her long before this whole situation with Hunter happened, but had honestly been avoiding it due to the possibility of there being pain during the procedure. But now that she was to be having sex in a matter of days, she had decided to grit her teeth, stop acting like such a baby, and get it over with.

At the counter was a somber looking teenager with headphones in. Louise stood before the counter for a few minutes before the girl finally looked up from her iPhone, and, as if slightly annoyed, pulled out a clipboard and gave it to her. She sat down and began to fill out the papers, giving herself the name of "Shea V. Yerbush". Briefly, she pulled out the $200 in her pocket, just to make sure it hadn't fallen out while she was riding down her. Louise let out a long exhale, a tingling in her gut strengthening when she thought of what it would be like to be sitting in the cold procedure room, with no hands to hold.

Honestly, Linda would've most likely loved to join Louise during her IUD procedure. And though she would've denied it, Louise would've been glad that her mother was there to comfort her. But she knew that getting birth control right after she had just broken up with Rudy wouldn't make sense, and Linda, being the nosy person she is, would most likely get the truth out of Tina, meaning she would then now about both Louise's gambling and her debt to Hunter as well. As much as she loathed the pervert, she didn't want him to be murdered by her protective Mama. So here she was, cold and alone, getting a procedure that could either be entirely painless, or more excruciating than childbirth.

Louise was lead into a cold looking room with faded, aero blue walls and a white procedure chair by a blonde nurse who informed her the doctor would be in shortly. Louise rested on down on the chair, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. Despite her previous insistence to get this whole thing over with, Louise didn't actually think they were going to do the procedure _today_. She expected blood tests and hours of talking. But here she was, in the same situation she was always getting herself into. She overplayed her hand, and now she was paying for it.

Louise practically jolted when a doctor entered the room. She was wiry thin and blonde, with tall stilettos and thick glasses. She let out the usual introduction that doctors give: saying their name, repeating what was going to be done in this room, and asking how their patient was doing today. But when she finally looked up from her clipboard after hearing no response from her patient, she found Louise lying stiffly, trying to swallow down her tears. A sympathetic smile formed on her lips, and she took Louise's hand in her own.

"Everything's going to be fine." She mused, soothingly.

But nothing was fine. At least, not for Louise. Because her boyfriend was never in love with her. Because he had left her for her best friend, who was getting the happy ending that Louise wanted, and, frankly, felt that she deserved. Because she was going to be losing her virginity, not to the boy she loved, but to some fat fuck - who was maybe making Louise pay for all the pain she had caused on so many other kids with all her debts and dares. Because deep down, in her core, Louise feared that this was punishment - possibly from a higher being. All of this, the betrayal, the sex, the pain. It was because of karma, and Louise had to pay up.


	5. Chapter 5 (NSFW)

Instantaneously, Louise regretted not bringing enough money to pay for pain killers during the procedure. Though there was no real pain during the insertion that wasn't fully expected, Louise certainly felt an ache when she was back in the restaurant.

She was bussing tables now, pale as snow and sweating slightly. While she numbly wiped down a table top with a napkin, she was trying to recall the actual procedure and was coming to the conclusion that she had most likely fainted midway through - which would explain why a nurse had wheeled her out into the parking lot on a chair and had called her a taxi. Bob was curious as to why an impatient taxi driver dumped Louise and a pathetic looking bike out onto the front of the restaurant, but Louise mumbled something about throwing up after eating too much soap. Which really was quite a far fetched answer, but it had managed to quiet her father's concerns.

Louise lifted up a stack of plates before a sudden knee shaking pain caused the dishes to crash to the floor. Bob flew in to find Louise on her knees, one hand punching into her pelvis while the other picked up shards of porcelain. Bob scolded her, but could barely understand the response she gave through teeth that chattered from all the pain she was in. Louise had just experience one of the most excruciating cramps in all her life, which a few of the IUD reviews had warned about - though she foolishly skimmed over such comments.

Still sore, she was hunched over, carrying a tub of shattered dishes and dirty cutlery, with the eyes of Tina, Bob, and Logan following her. She waddled over to the kitchen sink, but another cramp, stronger than the last, caused her to squat down out of pain. Through gritted teeth, she reassured everyone that she was fine, claiming that she was most likely infected with a bad stomach bug. Bob, slightly freaked out by his daughter's odd reaction to pain, ordered her to get some rest. Louise then crawled out the restaurant and up the stairs, finally flopping down in her own bed. She was breathing heavily, the stabbing feeling from the cramps causing her to lose air in her lungs. As the ache began to drift off, her breathing returned to normal - only for another sharp pang to hit her, and she was reeling over in agony.

From outside, Linda heard something that sounded like a dog whimpering in Louise's room. She opened the door, and found her rolling around in the fetal position.

"Louise, honey, are you alright?"

"Yep, yep, yep. I'm just **great**." She seethed, before slipping out another muffled cry.

Hurriedly, Linda retrieved some painkillers that Louise quickly swallowed and then rested her head down, impatiently waiting for the sedative effects of the pills to hit her while her mother brushed her dark hair.

* * *

12:36 AM. Most of the family was asleep. With all the lights off, the TV's screen blared on the sleeping figures of Tina and Gene. In between them was Logan, who was far from drowsy despite his previous tired state before. He stared numbly into the flickering TV, but was only thinking of Louise - who was most likely completely unaware of how much Logan regretted snapping at her that morning. He's still unsure as why he did it. Granted, he was exhausted as the night before he was up tossing and turning, going in and out of both tender and raunchy dreams of his oldest friend. But he was also horribly...afraid.

Logan hadn't experienced that sort of nervousness about another female since he was fourteen years old. And yet, twelve years later, he was freaking out over a girl who he was once extremely comfortable with. But, for some odd reason, as he was mopping the floor, he felt that if he looked too deeply in Louise's eyes, she would just know that he had inhaled the scent of her sweater and had imagined her in her underwear and had spied on her through the living room window. So he had snapped at her, hoping it would scare her off - prevent her from knowing the truth that could be so easily found in his eyes.

Logan silently untangled himself from the sleeping figures resting atop of him and headed to Louise's bedroom. Opening the door just a crack, he found her sleeping face, placid and tranquil. She was curled up in a ball, the same position as before when she was in agonizing pain. Now, she was clearly calm, her slow breathing suggesting such. Logan quietly slipped in and pulled the covers over her figure. In the dead of night, knowing no one would know of it, he bent down, and left a small kiss on right temple. With his nose so close to her hair, he was intoxicated by the strong scent of spearmint - causing his heart to pound so loudly that Logan actually feared it would wake Louise up. Quickly, he headed to the bathroom, where he splashed cold water onto his face, in an attempt to achieve his senses once more. Looking into the mirror, he saw a blonde with red rimmed, tired eyes, and an expression drained of all color.

Logan exhaled, too tired to curse himself for kissing the one person he was suppose to never gain feelings for. She was his nemesis, his rival, his opponent, and the person who, most likely, viewed him as nothing more than a sibling. The thought of kissing Louise, and having it be as gross as a brother violating his sister, made Logan shudder. He couldn't stand the possibility of putting her into that position. One where she had to awkwardly live with this person whose feelings she would be denying. Or, even worse, Louise would try to be a hero, and would reciprocate Logan's feelings, but hide the disgust she secretly held for him. A boy had already managed to force her into sleeping with him. Maybe Louise was far more compliant than Logan had thought.

But as disgusting as he felt for wanting Louise, he was still overwhelmed with energy, and anxiety, and stress, and, most of all, hormones. The back of his neck was now so tingly that he could barely feel it, and his heart was thumping so rapidly, Logan feared he was going to faint soon. It was crazy what this one girl was doing to him, and it was even crazier what he was going to do next.

Logan turned the shower on, the running water producing a loud sound and warm stream. He peeled off his clothes, slightly sweaty from the humid night, and stepped in.

He would be lying if he said he had never jacked off in the Belcher's home before. As guilty as he felt about it, he had moved in as a hormonal teenager who could, at the time, get a boner from literally anything - even over an extra curvy piece of plumbing pipe. And now, as an adult, such desires were still there, and would be usually satisfied within the shower, where his moans could be muffled by the running water. Typically, he would think of the usual babes that enticed most lanky, acne covered boys: Megan Fox, Charlize Theron, and Scarlett Johansson. This time, it just happened to be about his manager's eighteen year old daughter.

With hot water running down his aching spine, Logan began to quickly thrust his member. With the sudden tingling that came with his touching, images of Louise, completely nude and writhing beneath him, appeared. She was calling out his name, promising to be his, and his alone. That Hunter could go fuck himself, because he was never going to get to know her taste. And it was a sweet taste. Logan could sense it as he began to heat up, panting slightly now that he was so close. He leaned his head back, water running through his untrimmed hair and opened his mouth slightly to let slip a moan. He stretched his spine, now seeing her bobbing up and down in between his legs only to pause. The world seemed to go silent as Louise looked down, and, causing something of a start, she flashed her sweet brown eyes directly at his. With that, he came. Hunching over and trying to quiet a slew of curse words, a searing substance fell into his hand. He placed his head against the tile wall, breathing heavily with his mouth agape. The white liquid went down the drain, and his heart slowly drifted back to a normal pace.

But even after he had crawled back into his own bed, down in the basement, the thought of Louise's eyes, piercing through the darkness, was burned into his brain.


	6. Chapter 6

Louise woke feeling horrible. Though the excruciating cramps from yesterday were gone, she had the feeling of chills running through her limbs when she climbed off her bed. Louise felt incredibly warm, to the point that it was even smothering her - as if she were under layers of thick blankets. She noticed a dampness on her covers, which had formed from her excessive sweating through the night. Louise headed to the shower to wash off the bad odor that had accumulated on her skin. She moved quickly, to ensure that she wouldn't be cornered and bombarded with questions about her well being by her nosey mother. Though Louise was a good liar, she was in no mood to elaborate some story about how she had a heavy period - despite her mother knowing she had finished her period four days ago.

Her feet, burning with heat, seemed to sizzle on the frigid, hardwood floor, and she quickly shuffled into the bathroom, in response to Linda's leaving her bedroom. Shutting the door, Louise then regretted moving so quickly, as the room began to spin around her. Falling to her knees, Gene's basket of various rubber ducks in strange costumes were spilled over by Louise's flailing hands. She didn't even bother to pick up the bathtub toys, instead, barely reaching the shower handle, she had the shower head blast cold water, before slithering into the tub and laying under the icy drizzle. She felt her dried, cracked lips wetten, and the suffocating heat that was swelling throughout her seemed to die down. Louise peeled off her now soaked clothes and, on shaky legs, lifted herself so as to wash her dark, thin strands.

If she weren't so preoccupied with not falling over, Louise would've been cursing herself for being so stupid about this whole IUD procedure. She didn't do any research before entering, didn't get any pain killers, and didn't give herself any recovery time. To be fair, she had seen both Tina and Linda get the procedure, and come back fine, but she suspected that was because the two both had far larger hips or something like that. But what Louise was most concerned about was her fever. Inexplicably, she would always be afflicted with them after surgery - her father was the same. But, with how faint she felt at the moment, it was clear Louise was going to have to miss a second day of work - which would most certainly grab the attention of her parents. Louise was going to have to come up with a plan, and fast, because the shower was starting to spin around her.

Meanwhile, Logan, who was lounging on the living room couch, watching " _Banjo_ " with Gene, was surprised by a second thump emanating from the bathroom. The first one was not concerning at all. It seemed to be in the Belcher DNA to fall, at least once, every morning - as Logan had learned from the many times he had tried, in vain, to lift Bob off the floor, after his manager had tripped on his own feet, or from all the situations where Tina, quite clearly faking, fell into Logan's arms, usually with a breathy sigh and her hand dramatically clasped to her forehead. Unfortunately for Tina, Logan wasn't as invested in her as she had previously assumed, and, more often than not, she would fall without Logan even turning around to notice it.

But the second thump was concerning. It was far louder, and the sounds of something tearing and metal clinking could also be heard. Had Gene not been so busy snarfing down bacon flavored soda and twinkies, he may have been alarmed as well, but it ended up being Logan's job to go and check on Louise. As he made his way down the hall, his previous actions last night, quite unfortunately, made an appearance in his mind, and he cringed slightly before knocking on the bathroom door. He could hear the shower running, but nothing else. He knocked again, this time calling out Louise's name. Nothing. Logan put his ear to the door, and could hear, behind the rushing water and rickety pipes of the bathroom plumbing, the faint sound of Louise's pained groaning.

"Louise!? Are you alright!?" Logan called out again. Nothing. He briefly questioned getting Bob or Linda, or even Tina, who were all downstairs in the restaurant. But he decided to ignore the flustered fluttering of butterflies in his gut, and cracked open the door.

Spying through the thin sliver he had allowed himself, he could see Louise, completely bare, laying in a heap on the bathroom floor. She had clearly fallen out the shower, bringing the shower curtains with her - which were wrapped around her body as she slurred incoherently on the floor. Logan rushed in, the door swinging shut behind him, for fear that someone walked in and thought Logan was doing something that he shouldn't be. He quickly turned off the shower and put a towel on Louise's body before lifting her up to sit on the toilet seat. Though he was tentative about touching her soft skin, he less distracted by the lewdness of the contact and more by how searing it was in temperature.

Louise's eyes were half-lidded and unfocused. She was so unfocused, she couldn't even look Logan in the eye, though he could hear her mumbling his name.

"Louise, do you have a fever?" He asked. Unknown to him, Louise had noticed the break in his voice, and her heart, unexpectedly, fluttered slightly. If she weren't already red from her fever, she would've probably blushed - though later adamantly deny it. But instead of doing any of that, she tried to slur out some form a response. Logan placed his hand on her forehead, but due to his hand being numbed from going through the shower's frosty water, he didn't feel much. Not even caring about the embarrassing feelings he had for this small girl, he placed his forehead against hers.

Turns out, Louise was wrong. She _could_ turn redder.

Her heart began to race when she realized how close her face was to Logan's. At that angle, she could see how blonde his eyelashes were, and how his nose was surprisingly pleasing to look at. And then she about nearly died when, behind heavy, calm lids, Logan looked up, showing his stunning eyes. They weren't boring, or plain and dark like Louise's, but a pleasing blue - no, not blue. _Sky._ She was so happy staring into them that she didn't even notice how Logan was lingering there, no longer keeping his head there to check her temperature. Hell, she was so happy, she didn't even notice her encroaching dizziness, which finally caused her eyes to flutter, and then shut, once her head went lopsided. Logan steadied Louise before she could slip off the toilet, and laid her down in the tub once again - now sure that she had a severe fever.

Things calmed once more as the tub filled with cold water. Louise rested peacefully, with an arm placed on her stomach to pin the towel that now floated, slightly, in the water. Logan, his heart slowing down slightly from the events that had just transpired, gazed down on his old nemesis. Her dark hair, which had grown down her spine over the years, was now parted so to rest on collar bone, and it drifted about in the cold water. Her eyes were closed, with small droplets of moisture sliding down her eyelashes. Logan pulled her hand up and held it in his own, encasing it with warmth. For the first time, he realized how soft and oddly delicate they were. Despite all of Louise's lock picking, rough housing, fist punching, and play in sports, her hands had remain dainty all the while. It's incredible how the smallest of things persevere, even when under so much pressure.

There was no denying it now. Logan had feelings for Louise. True, deep feelings. Maybe they didn't become apparent until now, but deep down he know that this infatuation had been building for much longer. Maybe they began that day beneath the pier, or when he had spent his first Christmas with the Belchers, or, maybe, just maybe, as early as when he had stolen her precious bunny ears. Even back then, Louise's resilience, bravery, wit, and inner fire had amazed him. Turns out, such an amazement wouldn't ever cease.

Deciding this was no time to be all mushy, Logan snapped back to reality. He placed Louise's hand by her side, and called out for Gene.

"Whaaaat?" He responded, irritably.

"Gene, help me out here!"

"Why?"

"Louise fainted!"

There was silence on the other end for a brief moment.

"Are you sure she's just not resting?"

"Gene!"

"Ugh! Fine, I'll help!" Gene took a deep breath in before then yelling, from his sedentary position on the couch, "DAAAAD!"

"Gene! Get over here and _actually_ help me out!"

He let out another sigh before dragging himself into the bathroom. Gene's expression pailed slightly when he found Louise out cold, but he was quick to pick himself up.

"I always imagine Louise would faint out of amazement from one of my rock shows. But this is fine as well."

"Go tell Linda and Bob, Gene. I'm gonna watch over Louise and make sure she doesn't slip into the tub or something."

"Aw, what? Why do _I_ have to go down stairs!? She's my sister. Shouldn't I be the one watching her when she's all naked and stuff?"

"Ugh, Gene, that's too...too, uh, complicated. Just go!"

"Fine." He groaned, before trudging down to the restaurant. Logan placed Louise's to hang out the tub, preventing her from slipping under, before quickly searching through the medicine cabinet to pull out some Tylenol. Holding the small box, he turned around and nearly went as red as the medicine's package. Louise's towel had slightly slipped down, exposing her chest. Trying to avert his eyes, he, blindly, tried to pull the towel over her shoulders. His fingers numbed in the cold water, and brushed the feelings of rough cloth. But, when he, more courageously, placed down his entire palm, he felt it land on something warm...and….soft.

Completely frozen as chills ran throughout his entire body, he stiffly turned, with eyes the size of saucers, to find Louise slowly fluttering back into conscious - and then, when she noticed the grip on her chest, she too, went wide eyed.

For a moment, the two just stared at each other, both trying to imagine the events that would fold out. Logan could just see a sudden outburst of anger from Louise breaking the silence, as she slapped him right across the face. And then Bob would rush in, see him groping his daughter, beat him senselessly, fire him, and Logan would be homeless before eventually dying in some clammy alley. But, instead of having all this chaos occur, Louise, rather anticlimactically, lowered her eyes, in a rather "done-with-this-shit" look, and sternly said,"Logan, remove your hand."

With that command, his whole arm snapped to his chest - his eyes not once losing their humongous size, or their intense gaze on the violent girl he had just, unintentionally, violated.

Despite her fever having reduced her to a dizzy mess, Louise had enough stability, mostly from her cold bath, to commit one of her most boldest acts. Brazenly, she rose from her laying position in the tub. Keeping her posture entirely stiff, she stood on her feet - all while glaring down at Logan - and exited the tub. She felt the cold air nip at her bare skin as she walked, and Logan's gaze, fearful and astonished, caused a small smile to form on her lips once her back was to his. Though Louise would never admit it, the thought of stupefying and humbling a male - particularly her main opponent, who she longed to shock whenever she could - was one she found oddly attractive and even alluring. She couldn't stand males who always had to dominate - finding that whole Daddy fetish and what not to be rather boring, actually. So the look in Logan's eyes, one with shock that covered up the secret desire he had, made Louise's usually steady heart do cartwheels. All of this was expertly concealed, of course.

That was until her entire family came crashing into the room to find Louise, bare bottomed and exposed, walking away from a gawking Logan. After a quick examination of the scene, Bob's glare targeted Louise's blushing face. Louise's appearance of confidence and sultriness was abruptly lost when she doubled over, squealing slightly, to hide her exposed torso from her guffawing family and fuming father. Bob managed to toss a bathrobe on his daughter as she skittered past him, not tearing his steely eyes away from a cowering Logan. A small whimper escaped the blonde's lips, and his stomach wrung itself as he thought of the horrors that would most undeniably unfold.


	7. Chapter 7

Logan couldn't really recall a time where Bob terrified him as much as he did now. I mean, he had seen him angry in the past. Often, he would get all shrill in that rather unintimidating way of his - at most, mumbling a threat to lower Logan's salary if he didn't pick up the pace. Of course, Logan would always retort with "Could it really get any lower?" And Bob would shrug, not really able to deny that.

But this time, as Logan sat in the basement, waiting for Bob to appear from upstairs, he knew he was screwed. That whatever threat Bob said, it was going to be carried out - rather than be forgotten like all his previous half-hearted warnings. It was just apparent in how he remained completely silent as he walked Logan downstairs. And when he told Logan to sit down, he didn't even look him in the eye. He just pointed at a chair, as if Logan were a dog. Now, sulking in the dim basement, Logan began to look over his makeshift bedroom, he began to savor all the little details - realizing that this would most likely be the last time he got to enjoy this place.

The crack running up the wall, the dripping pipes, the hole ridden blankets….hm. Maybe moving out wasn't such a bad thing.

Logan whipped his head around when he heard Bob's heavy steps down the stairs. That familiar tingling sensation he got during panic, one that weakened his knees and caused his voice to catch, drowned him out - to the point that he could barely hear over his pounding heart. When had it all gone wrong? When had his peaceful, almost mundane life, become a mess of weird crushes, scandalous nudity, and pissed off parents?

A steely eyed Bob, mustache not even quivering the slightest, appeared - as still as a rock - and sat down on the chair across from Logan. For a few minutes, the two just looked at each other: Bob, with an unmoving expression, glaring at Logan, who let out small whimpers as he seemed to concave within himself. Finally, when Logan was two seconds from pissing himself, Bob cleared his throat - causing his mustache to twist slightly.

"Logan." He began.

"Yes...sir."

"Do you know what happened today, Logan?"

"Y-you walked into the restroom and found...Louise naked in front of me."

"Yes."

"Honest, Mr. Belcher - it's not what it looks like!"

"Oh? So I guess Louise is suddenly wearing the new emperor's clothes?! Huh?"

"I, uh...what?" Logan said, completely lost by the reference.

"You now. 'Emperor's New Clothes'. It's like an old..fairy tale."

"I don't think so…"

"Yes, I'm sure of it!"

"Are there even any fairies or - "

"A fairy tale doesn't just have to have fairies!"

"Really?"

"Yes, now this isn't important-"

"No, seriously. Name one without one."

"What? No - "  
"No, come on. Seriously."

"Fine! Uh…'Princess and the Pea', 'Goldilocks', 'Little Red Riding Hood'!"

"Those aren't fairy tales. They're fables."

"What!? I'm - I'm a dad, Logan. I think I know my stuff!"

"And yet you still can't even prove your point so…"

"Oh, ok! Got one: The Little Mermaid. Take that!"

"Damn."

"Yeah. Who's right now!"

"Yeah, I need to-to study up on my, uh, fables or whatever."

"Yes. Yes, you do...What were we talking about?"

"Dunno."

"Uh…"

"Hey, what's for lunch?"

Just then, their aimless conversation was interrupted by the quick pitter pattering of feet running down the stairs. Louise appeared, wild eyed and panic stricken.

"Dad, it's not Logan's fault!"

"What's not Logan's fault - oh, right!"

"Look, Dad...I-I…"

"Yeah, so what's the dealio with Louise being naked?" Bob asked Logan, sounding far more calm than Logan could've ever expected. While Logan realized that what they were seeing right now was the extent of Bob's anger, Louise was absolutely frantic - pacing up and down the basement floor, spilling out short, interrupted slurred words. Bob, tuning out his daughter's usual weird noises, continued talking to Logan.

"So was it just, like, a simple mix up? You know, walked in the bathroom when she was changing?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Oh, yeah. Makes sense. That lock is tricky and what not."

"Ok, Dad. Here's the truth!" Louise screamed assuredly, grabbing the attention of both males.

"Uh, Louise…" Logan murmured, trying to prevent Louise from making a confession that wasn't necessary.

"It's ok, Logan! I've got this!"

"No, Louise, seriously. You don't…"

"Don't try to be a hero!"

"I'm not trying to-"

"Shut your butt, coconut!" She finally wailed, before, with a shaky exhale, finally confessing the truth."I've had a crush on Logan since I first met him."

The room went dead silent, and Louise felt a throat clamping fear crawl up her spine. Despite the constraints, she managed to continue. Logan, practically winded from the news, was trying to regain his groundings, and questioning if this was a fake confession...or possibly true.

"I know it may not seem like it, but I do. I do. Ever since I saw him riding around on his skateboard - I just...immediately picked up on his charm. He's just always had this...magnetism - But, that's beside the point. I mean it is because of that crush that I...that I decided to-to-to appear...naked before him. In the bathroom. This morning. But it wasn't Logan's fault. He didn't undress me, or take advantage me, or even let me! Hell, Logan was practically screaming for me to cover myself. Covering his eyes and-and begging me to hide my, uh, shame!"

That same chill silence still remained, and Logan gave stiff side eye glances to Bob, who had eyes the size of saucers over Louise's confession. Calmly, Bob finally let out a response from his once clamped mouth.

"Louise, I already knew about your crush on Logan."

"You did!" Both Louise and Logan blurted out - before averting their gaze from the other. Louise was gradually turning redder and redder.

"Yeah. After Logan moved in, I found that journal entry you wrote about how Logan would be a great partner in crime or co-ruler of the Earth. And then you wrote about how his butt looked cute or something."

"Oh. You found that." Louise murmured. Stiffly, she glanced at Logan who, with an utterly stunned expression, was just staring off into space. A bit too loudly, Louise howled "Well, I'm glad we had this talk! I see that everything has...worked itself out. So, you know, imma just, uh - ok, bye!" And she sprinted up the stairs.

Casually, Bob told Logan to go back upstairs soon, so they could begin their shift, before leaving as well. Logan just sat there for a moment - not really knowing what to feel.

There were definitely some good things about Louise's "confession". It meant that the affection Logan felt for her wasn't some weird, one-sided pervertedness - and that whatever feelings they had for each other had actually been developing for some time now. But, on the bad side, it meant that Logan had even more incentive and temptation to do the one thing he could never do - date Louise.

It didn't matter how much the two liked each other. Nothing could change the fact that Logan was twenty six - almost thirty, the same age his father was when Logan was born - while Louise had just turned eighteen. Legally, the two were both adults, but Louise certainly didn't look like one. With her short height, baby face, and high pitched voice - she could easily pass off as a fifteen year old or something. There was no denying that Logan found her to beautiful and magnetic - but if he: a tall, lanky, grown man were to date her, it would just look...wrong. Granted, Logan was also confused to be far younger than he actually was as well. Due to his consistent choice of band t shirts, hoodies, oversized jeans, and sneakers - while men his age were wearing suits, dress pants, and oxfords - he was often thought to be a lowly university student, too poor to buy "nice" clothes. But, even with that confusion, it would still look strange to be with a girl so young. It just wouldn't be possible. The whole relationship would be dominated by the fact their age difference was rather vast.

His uncle had married a girl far younger than him. Twenty year age difference actually. And despite everyone assuming that the young art student was just with his wife for his formidable wealth, the two had one of the most happiest, romantic relationships Logan had ever seen. If there really is a thing as soul mates, than that's what those two were for each other. Every conversation between them was an interesting, fast paced discussion - regardless if they were tired or ill. They two could even say whole sentences, such as if their day was bad or something, with a single look. They had some of the best chemistry and unity out there - and yet they broke up. Because the pressure that was placed on their shoulders was just too much. His aunt's parents had disowned her because of the marriage, and Logan's mother refused to let his uncle even speak to the family since she found the entire thing to be so disgusting. When Logan thought of Louise being kicked out by her family, all for someone as worthless as him, he felt this sickening guilt bubble inside him. They just couldn't be together, for both of their sakes.

Trudging up the stairs, he found Louise busing tables, Linda at the cashier, Gene mopping up various puddles, and Tina behind the grill with her father. Linda, obnoxiously so, yelled out "So did you three work out your little spat, huh?" - not caring about the various customers who listened in on their "family drama".

"Yeah, we're fine." Logan answered, picking up a tray of dishes. He looked to Louise and could just feel her ignoring him, as she didn't even turn in his direction when she had to go behind the counter. Instead going the long way to reach the other entrance.

But with everything he had just thought about, maybe Louise ignoring him wasn't such a bad thing after all.

"Everything's fine." He murmured one last time, as he began a long day of work.


	8. Chapter 8

Louise would always scold herself for developing a crush on her worst enemy - though such feelings were bound to happen as Logan, for a long time, really was the only non blood related male she was close to. And, as Louise would always do, she was meanest to those that she cared about - particularly crushes.

Whenever Logan woke up, looking wonderfully disheveled with a nest of blonde hair, Louise, trying to hide the rising blush in her cheeks, would be certain to make a quick insult about his morning breath. And when Logan would go to bed shirtless during hot summer nights, she was sure to suggest he go to the gym sometime soon - as the pouch containing his extra cookies was getting a bit full. Of course, such comments never really got to the man - which only caused her to feel a mixture of both infuriation and infatuation, as that meant Louise had no control over Logan: her worst enemy.

But this sort of inner war inside her head died down when Louise started dating Rudy in freshmen year. In fact, part of the reason Louise started to date the asthmatic was because he offered as a great distraction from all the horrible feelings puberty brought into her head. Somehow, she had managed to convince herself that looking at Rudy's ant farm was far more entertaining than swooning over her father's delivery boy.

But now, here she was: with two ex's, one her boyfriend and the other her best friend, and no possibility of a new relationship anytime soon. With these thoughts in her head, Louise glumly pushed the shopping cart ahead of her, trailing after her mother as she nattered on about the amazing prices of canned soup. The situation managed to get _even worse_ when Louise, passing by a stray box of condoms, then remembered that, soon, she was going to be having some sweaty, overweight redneck flopping about on top of her.

Louise's thoughts were then interrupted by the sudden, intruding sound " _Pssst!"_ She looked around, unsure of where the sound was coming from. Thinking maybe it was her mother possibly flipping out over some attractive male that could be her "son-in-law", she was prepared to send an eye roll to the woman ahead of her - but instead found that the aisle was empty, her mother's nattering now faded out and coming from the pasta aisle.

" _Pssst!"_

"Uh, hello?"

"Louise, over here!" A voice hissed. Louise headed to the end of the aisle, noticing a pair of eyes peeking out from behind the turn.

"Do I know you….oooOOOH MY GOD!" She said, her voice gradually rising as she realized who was hissing at her.

With short red hair and green eyes, there was Jessica - hunched over behind a shelf of cereal boxes. Looking not like the girl who stole Louise's boyfriend and completely broke her heart, but just a normal-ish girl who….hides behind cereal boxes.

"What the hell do you want, Jessica!?" Louise seethed.

"I just wanted to - wait, why are we whispering?"

"I don't know, Jessica, you were doing it first!"

"Okay, yeah. Fair enough. But...I know you're mad…."

"Yeah, I am!"

"And you have every right to be!"

"Yeah, I think I do too!"

"But I heard...a rumor. And I had to make sure that it wasn't true!"

"What was the rumor? That I'm two seconds from kicking your ass! Because it's extremely true." Louise yelled, all pain and betrayal that came from the whole horrid break up now stirring backup inside her gut. She couldn't believe that Jessica even had the _audacity_ to even speak to her right now.

"Louise, I heard that you're going to….do it with Hunter."

Louise's shoulders dropped, and she felt a hot redness well up in her cheeks. There were rumors now? I mean, yes, the bet had been made in front of many other people - but she didn't think they would spread it around.

With a stunned, still expression, Louise whipped her back against the grocery shelf - causing a few soup cans to fall - and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. Jessica, now standing before the girl with sympathy in her eyes, gingerly sat down next to her old friend. Fearful that Louise was going to suddenly attack her of something, she froze in mid sit - eyeing the girl - before eventually settling down on the floor. _Whack!_ Louise delivered a strong punch to her shoulder, not even exiting from the zoned out state that she was in, and then everything was calm.

"Okay. I deserved that." Jessica said, wincing as she rubbed the now tender area on her shoulder.

"Does Rudy know?" Louise asked.

"Yeah. Sorry. But he does."

"Oh."

"But he's really worried. And I am too, Louise. You don't have to do this. You _shouldn't_ do this."

"Well, unlike _some_ people, I don't betray people's trust!"

"I - uh, how does that have to do...with Hunter….I mean, I get how the trust and me are connected...but…"

"I'm just mad Jessica. Okay!"

"Yeah, yeah. I gotcha."

"And...and I'm scared. I'm not...I'm still a virgin."

"Exactly! So why the hell are you losing it to this creep!"

"Because I've got a promise to keep, Jessica! For all the people I've made do humiliating things to fulfill a debt, I've got to do _this_ for them. As horrible, and degrading, and yucky as it - I've got to do it."

Jessica, looking at Louise's sulking figure, had to resist the urge to wrap her arm around her. Instead, she did the only thing she could possibly imagine would be okay - she scooted a little bit closer.

"Maybe...you should lose it to someone else?"  
"Like who? _Rudy_ was going to be the person I lost it to, so I didn't exactly set anybody else side for me to, you know, do the deed with."

"Louise, I still remember about that crush you had on Logan."

Louise's face burned red, and, through gritted teeth, said "Oh god, don't even talk about Logan."

"Why? I think he's really cute. And I know you do too."

"I don't. Not...not anymore."

"What happened?"

"He...found out about my crush."

"And that made you stop crushing on him."

"Yeah, duh!"

"Uh, Louise…?"

"And, also, I highly doubt he's into me. Seeing as, after he found out, he didn't even..you know try...anything."

"Okay, well, you don't have to date him. You could just, you know, do it with him."

"I think he has to like me to do that."

"Louise, I have never met a man who wasn't down for just a fling."

"Okay, yeah."

"Are you not down for it?"

"No. If he's cute, than no. But...I think Logan would be weird after. And I don't want that. And...I don't…"

"'Don't' what?"

"I...nothing…" Louise said. In her head, she was screaming "I don't want to have just a fling with him. I want to be with him". But instead, she changed the topic to something that had been gnawing at her mind ever since her split with Rudy, "Have...have you done it yet?"

"Yeah."

"To who?" She squeaked, already fearful that she was going to hear something she couldn't take.

"I think you already know, Louise."

Though she wasn't shedding any tears, she lifted her knees so they pressed into her eyes - concealing the pain that was forming on her face. Despite her previous fear, Jessica did put her arms around Louise's huddled figure.

"When?"

"Louise…"

"Please, Jessica. Just be honest with me."

"It happened...when you guys were still dating."

A sudden rage filled through her, and she pushed Jessica away from her - now fuming. Though the two had already betrayed her, it was even worse knowing that they were "canoodling" even when Rudy was suppose to be focused on just her.

"It happened two weeks after you guys first started dating. It was just...really spontaneous. And I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything, Louise. I never, ever, ever wanted to hurt you. And I know Rudy didn't want to either."

"It doesn't matter that you didn't want to hurt me! You still did when you and Rudy were sucking face while I had all my faith in you! I bet when you guys first did it, you didn't even think about me - wait, that came out wrong….Ugh! Whatever! You get the point! I'm leaving!"

Louise snapped up onto her feet and stormed off towards her mother's continuous prattling, leaving Jessica to stare after Louise, regretful and alone.

* * *

Logan lifted up another tray of dirty plates and misty cups, bringing it into the kitchen and placing it in the sink. The restaurant had closed two hours ago, and everything was still. Even the outside streets were empty of people and cars, and it was a time that Logan enjoyed most. Typically, this was the only time he got any peace - before going upstairs to enjoy a wonderfully chaotic, squished sitting on the couch with the entire Belcher family. But, before Logan could head upstairs, he noticed the lone, pink beanie wearing girl sitting, glumly, at a booth.

Logan and Louise had successfully avoided each other for two days after the whole humiliating incident in the basement, and he was pretty damn sure that that vow of silence still lasted even now. But the expression on Louise's face, one that looked utterly hurt and alone, caused Logan, mustering up what little courage he had, to "casually" walk to the cashier, pretending to be exchanging money or something.

"So...uh….what's with the long face, Louise?"

Losing her zoned out expression, Louise snapped up, looking behind her and checking that Logan was actually talking to her, before turning back to him and somberly replying "Yeah, uh, thank you. But I don't need a pick me up right now, buddy."

Logan let out a long sigh, realizing that Louise, as usual, was going to require a bit more effort to open up. Moving out from behind the counter, he sat down at the booth - slightly shocking the girl by so "brazenly" plopping down near her.

"Come on, Louise. Who else are you going to tell your problems to?"

"Me, myself, and I."

"Yeah, because that always goes swimmingly."

"Ugh, fine." She said, dramatically rolling her eyes in a feigned attempt to hide that she really was quite glad that he was asking about her well being. "I just...at the grocery store today, I ran into Jessica."

"Oh boy. Is this the first time you guys have talked since the whole split?"

"Yes. And it turns out that both she and Rudy know about Hunter!"

"I forgot about Hunter! Are you still doing that?"

"Yes! Of course I am, Logan! Do I really need to explain this to you again?"

"No, no. It's all good. But why, exactly, are you so upset?"

"Ok, well...it's not just that literally everybody is talking about how I'm going to have sex with a disgusting creep, but it's also because...I learned that Rudy and Jessica were...doing it even when we were dating."

"Oh, Louise. I'm...I'm really sorry. Like, I need you to know - I wish that I could help you. I really do. But the issue with heartbreak is that there really is no way to make it go away. Only time can do that."

"Have you ever gone through heartbreak?"

"Yeah. Of course I have. Everyone does."

"Not my mom. She just broke hearts. Like Hugo's."

"Oh please, Louise." He said, emphasizing the rhyme in hopes of making her smile. "I'm very sure that your mom has had her heartbroken."

"Mmh, sure, yeah. How about you just get on with your sappy-ass story, Logan Barry Bush."

"I mean, it's pretty cliche. In senior year I dated a French foreign exchange student, name Marie, and I really liked her, and I thought her 'lack of affection' was just because she couldn't speak English really well. And I realize now that I was just lying to myself because I didn't want to actually accept the fact that, hey, maybe somebody didn't feel like I did for them. When she went back to France, I cried. She didn't."

"Okay. You got your heartbroken. What then?"

"What do you mean?"

"How did you recover? What - did you get some amazing life lesson or something? What happened?"

"Nothing happened, Louise. I was really blue for a while, and I eventually got over it."

"But I'm not going to get over it, Logan! I can't...can't stop thinking about it. And now that I have to lose it to Hunter, the horrible fact that Jessica - my best friend - stole my chance to...lose my virginity...is becoming more and more apparent. And it seems the closer the day comes where I have to do it with Hunter, the more painful the break up with Rudy is. Every morning, I'm realizing some new painful fact about the whole split! Like, just this morning, I realized that...that...Rudy never actually, really said he loved me. He only said 'thank you'."

Logan felt a familiar ache, one that was caused by recalling the pain he felt over Marie - but also because it actually caused him to feel _physical pain_ to see Louise hurting. Tentatively, he reached a hand across the table and placed it on Louise's. She flinched slightly, surprised by the contact - but relaxed into, instead looking into Logan's eyes.

"Logan? Why...how..."

"'How' what?"

"How can you touch me?" She croaked, sounding as if she were some wart infested toad that didn't deserve to be touched by him. This could've been the first time Logan had ever heard Louise actually...think she wasn't worth him. And it made him nervous. Real nervous.

"What do you mean 'how'? I'm doing it right now." He answered, placing another hand on her's.

"It's just...I mean, you know that I have a crush on you. How...how can you touch me?"

"What? So because you like me, you're suddenly untouchable? Louise, only seven years old do that!"

" _I_ do that, jerk!" She laughed, placing her own hand on his.

"Well, you should stop. Because...because…" Logan felt the confession - the truth - crawling up his throat, begging to be said. And really, was it so wrong to say it? Louise was at an extremely vulnerable state, and knowing that someone had a crush on her - especially if that someone was her crush as well - might give her a boost of confidence. "Because I kinda have a crush on you too. And I really hope you're not going to become a total seven year old now that you know that."

Louise went utterly silent, now staring directly into Logan's eyes. A redness began to bloom in her cheeks, but this time, it wasn't out of anger. It was out of pure bashfulness. And it was kinda cute. Stammering as she spoke, Logan tore her eyes away from the blonde, but clasped her hands, now quite sweaty out of nervousness, tightly around his.

"You do?"

"Yeah. I do. And...and..you don't have to feel pressured. I'm not saying you should do anything about it at all. Frankly, nothing should be done about it - considering the age difference, and that I work for your father, and you just got out of a relationship, and-"

"-Logan, I do actually want something to be done about it."

"Uh, what?"

"I mean, you're right. A relationship would be a bad idea but...I..I…" She began, trailing off now. But then, her eyes becoming determined and cold, she looked up, and with the same brashness he had seen when she exited from the tub, fully nude, she said "I like you, Logan. I like you a lot. In fact, you're the only guy I like. And..and I don't like Hunter, but I'm going to have to lose it to him. And I don't want it to be, fifty years from now, when people ask me how I lost my virginity, that I give them some humiliating story of how I lost it to this guy I absolutely loathed. I want to give them a story about who I lost it to the guy who had experienced. Who was cute. Who I actually...liked. I want to lose it to you."

"Louise, whoa." Logan began, but he stopped himself when Louise's hands loosened around his, and he realized that, no matter what happened, he couldn't have this conversation ending with Louise thinking Logan didn't like her - when he so fucking did. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Are you though? I mean this in the most non perverted way possible, but I need you to really think about it. Because it's scary Louise. No matter how much you like the person, it can still be scary. The whole act of having someone touch you...in ways you've never been touched before...It's absolutely...weird."

"Well, Logan...if...if...I have to have someone...scare me, than I want it to be you."

"You want me to scare you?"

"Well, not literally, but, I mean, think about it - it's either you, my most trusted friend, or Hunter: a total, stinky weirdo."

"I'm sorry, did you say ' _friend'_."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Okay, I see your point - but that only makes me feel worse!"

"How does that make you feel worse?"

"Because that means that not only is Hunter forcing you to have sex with him, but he's kinda forcing you to have sex with me!"

"He's not forcing me to have sex with you! If anything, I'm forcing you to have sex with me!"

"You wouldn't have to force me, Louise…" He murmured, not even realizing what he had just said - which he immediately regretted when he noticed the sudden silence that filled the room. He looked to Louise, whose wide eyes and gaping mouth caused a slew of apologies to climb up his throat. But before the words could spill out, a smile formed on Louise's lips, and loud, snorting, laughter escaped her.

"I can't believe you just said that!"

"I can't believe I said that either."

"Okay, okay. This is beside the point. What's your answer? Yes or no?"

Logan looked down, and realized that his hands were still on Louise's - something he had, amazingly, forgotten. And he thought about how he had promised himself - the world, even - that he wouldn't give in to what he wanted. That he wouldn't try anything on Louise, someone who was still, well, innocent. Hell, he was a _man whore_. As arrogant as it was to say this about himself, he had been with so many chicks - and now he was going to do the same thing he had done with woman who had more experienced than freaking Madonna, to a small, clean virgin. If a stranger were to look at the summary of this story: A 26 year old skirt chaser popped the cherry of his boss's eighteen year old daughter. Wow, what a romantic, wonderful, moral story. Totally didn't make Logan look like some creepy molester.

But despite all these things, he just...wanted her so bad. He had fucking masturbated to the thought of her - as if she were some unattainable Victoria Secret model. He had gotten turned on by the smell of her hoodie. He was so desperate to have this girl, that he was relying on the tactics a fucking thirteen year old would use just to get a boner - even though he was twice as old, and fully capable of getting a grown, experienced woman. He _needed_ her. And if he gave up this chance now, he might never get a second one.

"Okay."

"Okay."

A still, placid silence filled the room - as if sealing the deal. It was a sort of delicate, fragile quietness that's only heard amongst couples, and Logan, not afraid to take risks anymore, lifted Louise's hands and left a sweet, tender, light kiss on her knuckles, before, with an almost comical brashness, blurted out, "So when should we do it?" Causing the two to blurt out into laughter, once again.

"Honestly, now seems good."

"What? Now?"

"Yeah. I mean, why not? Everybody's asleep, and the basement is pretty, you know, sound proof, and if you're worried about, like, protection - don't be. 'Cause you remember that whole thing with me getting a fever and stuff?"

"Yeah, of course I do."

"That was because I got this whole horrible, god awful IUD thing, and, yeah, it was just so..so...bad."

"No, I've got protection. That's not the issue."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I just need to make sure that...what is this?"

"Um, a night of cherry popping, I guess?"

"Ew, gross. No, what I mean is that...is this just a fling? Are we going to be normal? When morning comes, are we just going to act like it never happened?"

"Well, I don't want to completely sweep it under a rug or anything. But, yeah, a relationship wouldn't work. I _**am**_ not ready for a relationship. And my dad _**wouldn't**_ be okay with it. But, hey." She said, still holding Logan's hand as she walked out of the booth and lead him towards the basement. "At least we have tonight."

And Logan was sure to click the light off of the restaurant, looking out at it's serene nature from the door stand. If a random person were to walk into Bob's Burgers right now, would they have any idea how much this place meant to so many people? Would they even know about all the heartbreaks, and romances, and secrets that this place contained?

"I guess not." Logan thought, before heading downstairs.


	9. Chapter 9 (NSFW)

When Logan reached the bottom of the stairs, he found Louise, her back to him, already pulling off her tank and shorts. Slightly taken aback by her immediate stripping, Logan fumbled about before unzipping his own jeans.

 _Holy crap, we're actually doing this._

"Um, do you - would you like some music?"  
"Yeah, why not?" She said, crawling under the bed covers, wearing nothing but her bumble bee patterned bra, lilac panties, and a mismatched pair of socks. She pulled the bedding up to her nose, watching Logan with curious, but not anxious, eyes, as he tripped out of his jeans and pulled off his raglan tee. She hid a small snicker beneath the covers when she noticed the taco pattern on his boxers. Logan would've commented, but he was busy looking for a song on his iPhone to play.

"The song isn't that important…" Louise murmured, becoming impatient with how long his search was taking.

"Sure it does! What are you gonna tell your kids when they ask you what song you lost it to?"

"Are my kids really gonna ask me that?"

"Are you saying you never asked your parents?" He said, looking over his shoulder to give her a mischievous look - as he was fully aware that Louise, indeed, had asked them that question.

Logan found this out six years ago. While he and Bob were unloading boxes of delivered hamburger buns, a peaceful, cantaloupe colored sky formed above the alley way the two stood in. Logan remembered the almost nostalgic feeling that filled the two as Bob, resting his now sore back, blurting out that Louise had just learned about sex.

"Yep, taught to her in family life. Doesn't twelve seem a bit too young for you?"

"No. That's the time when girls get there...you know."

"Yeah, I know. I just...I'm gonna miss it when she had no idea what it was, you know?"

"Why? Doesn't this mean you'll have to censor less stuff?"

"Yeah. But it also means that she's going to start asking really, really weird questions. Like today. She asked me what song I 'lost it to'. I mean, wow, she's already caught up on the 'lingo'."

"Lingo, Bob? Really?"

"But the worst part.." He said, ignoring Logan's comment. "Is that, one day, she's going to want to lose it. I never thought about it until now. And I certainly didn't think about when she was just some boy-hating nine year old. And now...I'm just afraid."

 _Who'd've thought I'd be the one taking it now?_

"How's it going with the music there, buddy?" Louise said, interrupting Logan from his thoughts.

"Yeah, got it. Here we go."

A few, calming guitar chords formed from the iPhone, until Louise made out that the song "Santeria" by Sublime was playing. Logan then climbed under the covers - settling as far from her as possible. From the opposite ends of the bed, two, large eyes just peered at each other.

"You can come closer, Logan."

"You first."

"Ugh, let's just meet in the middle."

The two squirmed themselves towards each other - eventually freezing at the contact of their bare arms.

"Louise, for us to do this, we're going to have to touch."

"You first."

Logan lifted himself up, and hovered over her - resting himself on his elbows and slowly laying himself down on her pelvis. Louise parted her bent legs, letting his clothed erection rest in, what Logan would find to be, her panty-less crotch. While a pose like this would've been romantic and steamy, with the two in close contact and staring into each other's eyes - it just ended up being awkward, as if Logan's face were up close to Louise's like an intruding camera. The two, wide eyed and uncomfortable, just stared at each other for a moment - before Louise let out a small snicker. Sighing, Logan flopped back down by her side, Louise's snickering now turning into uncontrollable laughter.

"I'm sorry, Logan. It's just...we're so awkward." She said, in between chuckles.

"Ugh, I know. Maybe this was a bad idea." He groaned, pressing his palms into his eyes.

"Hey, no. I wanna do this. Even if it's the most painfully awkward experience of my life, I wanna do this."

"You're first time shouldn't be awkward. It often is. But it shouldn't be."

"Well, what should it be than?"

"I don't know - passionate? Loving? Steamy?"

"Steamy?"

"Yes, for a lack of a better word - yes, it should be steamy."

"Not everything's like the porn videos you see, Logan. Not everyone has fast, romantic, intimate sex. I mean, I know I'm a virgin and I shouldn't be telling you about your favorite hobby - but this is just universal knowledge."

"But I don't want your first time to be awkward, Louise. I don't want to be the guy that you spent an uncomfortable, weird night with. I...I want to be the guy who gave you...one of the best nights of your...life." He said, looking over to the dark haired girl beside him. Louise wore an expression that Logan had never seen before: absolute flattery - to the point that her eyes were watering slightly, and her smile seemed to be trying to contain the happiness that wanted to burst out of her. She was so happy, that she couldn't even stare back into Logan's sleepy gaze - instead focusing on his bare shoulder. With a soft, final, croak, Logan said, "Because I like you, Louise. I like you a lot."

With a soft exhale, one that showed she was absolutely finished in any attempts to hide behind walls, Logan left soft kisses on her shoulder, before trailing up to her collarbone, her neck, her jaw, and finally on her lips - where he lingered. He moved his hands under her neck, gently lifting her into his lips, while her hands smoothed over Logan's shoulder blades. With his chest resting on hers, he could feel her heart beating against its cage - and he knew that he had accomplished his goal. This would be the night that she - no, that neither of them would forget.

Logan, not breaking the contact between their lips, positioned himself so that he was, again, on top of her - but this time he was lying down on her warm, soft body - making sure to place most of his weight in the elbows he rested on. Leaving kisses down her neck and reaching a hand down between her legs, Louise's eyes closed - a moan escaping her parted lips, though she did her best to tame it - quieting the licentious sound as soon as Logan noticed it. As if pure pleasure was an embarrassing state to be seen in. Seemingly in an act of revenge for having her usual tough demeanor be broken, Louise reached a hand down and slipped it into his boxers, softly tugging on an already erect member. Logan flinched at the contact, breaking their kiss. Gently, he brought her hand back up - though not making any effort to tuck his erection away - and kissed it's knuckles, sending electric shocks through out her. He gave her a scolding, coy stare - one that told her to not resist what was happening. To not resist him. And though she would never, ever admit it, there was something pleasingly delicious about Logan's tactics of intimidation. Louise certainly wasn't into dominance - at least, when it was a male dominating _her_. And not because the thought of being claimed, desired, and required wasn't absolutely _thrilling,_ but because she had never found a male worthy enough to see her in such a vulnerable state. Except for Logan, that is.

In a humid daze, Louise watched as Logan, with his free hand, positioned himself and slowly entered her - shoulders hunched as he sat up right, not even aware of the eyes that slowly widened as Louise felt an ache begin to form down there - an extremely displeasing ache. But he was definitely paying attention - because as soon as she began to tremble, he looked straight into her frightened stare. The sudden appearance of his own eyes - a clear blue that broke through the room's cozy glow - seemed to calm Louise, as if she were hit by a refreshing splash of water. The mere sight of Logan's expression - full of concern and perfectly willing to stop at her demand - resulted in the relaxing of Louise's muscles. She was putty in his hands now. Relief filled him, and with one last glance - which was met with her own brilliant, determined look- he entered her. Instantaneously, Louise's look of conviction evaporated - being replaced with a wince out of pain, before she turned her head away from and pressed it harder into the soft pillow.

"You alright?" He said, lowering down so he could whisper this into Louise's temple - getting a faint scent of her spearmint shampoo.

For a moment, she didn't respond - but when Logan slowly thrusted in again, a breathy moan escaped her, signifying that he should go on. As he developed a gradual, but steady, rhythm, Louise's breathing, which steadily quickened, caused the redness in Logan's face to bloom even more. Her fingernails, thankfully short and clipped, ran down his back, their lips reconnected - now gnawing at the other slightly. He could feel the softness of her skin slowly being weathered away by the now rushed friction between them. The pads of his fingers pressed into her shoulder blades, and he knew that he was going to leave a bruise - but he couldn't resist. He had to grip onto something, to keep himself afloat. Because if he lost the slightest bit of control, then he would be nothing but love and mush - melting into the bed sheets. Logan released his own wavering, long breaths - ones of control and temperance. But he could feel something uncoiling within him, and his thrusts increasing in voracity. He was losing himself, so consumed that he couldn't even think. All that filled him was an electric excitement - one that made his wrists, his knees, his _everything_ tingle - and the scent of spearmint, which burned beautifully within his nostrils. And with two last, finishing thrusts - Louise let out a high pitched, almost girlish, squeal - while Logan gruffly cursed into the arch of her neck, feeling all pent up stress and longing drain out of him.

The two rested there for a moment, practically luminescent in the afterglow of sex. Their labored pants tapered off to quiet, serene breathing - but their tight clinging of each other never ceased in it's desperateness. Logan was holding Louise tightly, and his shoulder rested just under her chin, and she coyly bit into the bright, exposed skin - earning a squeak from the blonde, who looked up to playfully glare at her. Seeing Louise's almost childish giggle caused Logan's expression to melt, and he crashed his lips into her. The initial impact of their teeth clattering together was painful, but it slowly faded off to a drowning, sweet sensation as his soft lips danced with hers, reminding her that beneath his layer of need and want was just pure selflessness. But then Logan lifted off of her, painting slightly and overlooking the room - just remembering where the hell he was. While he was distracted, Louise gingerly placed her hand on his own - but he didn't notice. With some more confidence, she slowly placed his palm against her face and pecked his inner wrist. The immediate contact of a kiss on his pulse caused Logan to look at her.

His hand was against her cheek. And not out of violence, or cruelty, or dominance. But out of tenderness, and by her own free will. And that meant the world to Logan. With a loving gaze at her sleepy, enamored expression, he whispered, his voice noticeably wavering slightly, "You have to go back to bed now."

As if in pain, she closed her eye tightly, and he left one last kiss on her forehead - lingering long enough to hear her whisper "Thank you, Logan."

 _Thank you, Louise._


	10. Chapter 10

Louise's stench - well, fragrance - lasted for hours. Logan didn't even want to shower, for fear that the comforting smell would be lost with the downpour. After Louise scurried up the basement stairs, looking back to find Logan's gaze before rushing out the door, he laid on the bed - nose buried in the bedding, inhaling the sweet fumes, and kneading the sheets between his fingers - as if trying to replace the feeling of Louise's soft skin. Logan wanted to burn everything of that night into his mind. Because, good Lord, it was everything he had ever wanted. The soft, delicate kisses. The shaky exhales. The tentative touches that became more assured as time went on. And, most of all, the soft moan Louise breathed into Logan's reddening ear. It was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

But just like Louise's scent, which had dissipated by sunrise, all romance of that night was lost between the two once morning came around. Logan stumbling into the kitchen, disheveled and baggy-eyed, found Louise energetically pushing loiterers out the restaurant before cheerily scooping up their dirty plates. She was humming a song and even greeted Logan as she made her way into the kitchen, as if nothing had even happened between the two. Gene also said "Hello" but Logan didn't even respond, being far too fixated on a dark haired girl's genuine casualness, while he was still absorbed in the heated memory of last night. It was actually...slightly bothersome.

Logan pulled out a broom and began to sweep under the tables, thinking about how he had even told Louise to act as if nothing happened, and was once fearful that sleeping together would cause a change in their relationship. And yet, here Logan was, almost hurt by how easily she had brushed off everything. What if it all meant nothing to Louise? What if, years from now, when she was getting tipsy with other burnt out, frazzled mothers at some cheap bar, and a mom, after asking about the latest crash diets and health risks of gluten, asked who Louise lost "it" too, and her response was "just some busboy". Or, even worse, what if she said, after deep thought "You know, I really don't remember". Logan had aimed to be unforgettable. To be a good memory. To be a thought that lingered. And yet, she was fine. Absolutely unshaken.

Logan's eyes, glued to her , watched as Louise, her own focus being on her steps, passed out plates of food to a heavy set couple of plumbers. The customer said something in a gravelly voice, and Louise looked up with lively, sharp eyes that seemed to give the man whatever he asked for. Because when she sped off, he murmured something to his friend, motioning to their energetic waitress. Logan could practically hear them giving degrading compliments about Louise's surprisingly firm ass, or how they could see her boldly patterned bra when she leaned down. His hands tightened around the broom handle, causing his knuckles to whiten. Louise was so unforgettable, she even left an imprint on some frivolous customers. So what did that make Logan? He couldn't even leave a lasting impression, despite spending an entire night with the girl.

His sweeping became for aggressive now, causing straws from the broom to fly loose. Despite Bob's concerned gaze on the grumbling blonde, Logan's thoughts still revolved around his own self perceived worthlessness. For years now, he had seen himself as some sort of big shot. One that looked like a lowly busboy in oversized jeans, yet could fuck a girl to high heaven. The shock that escaped from the women he had spent the night with, all of them commenting on his surprisingly good ability in the bedroom, always gave Logan a euphoric satisfaction - one that was sometimes better than the sloppy, pitiful sex he had with too-eager girls. And yet, here he was, outmatched by an innocent, beanie wearing girl in the competition of "Who's More Impressive in the Bedroom?"

" _Oh god"_ Logan murmured, clutching his broom when a terrible thought came to him.

What if Louise never became a drained, overworked mom of four, but a bar hopping succubus? One who wear a leopard miniskirt even at the decrepit age of forty, and tasted of cigarettes and cheap nail polish? It was so possible too, considering the fact that Louise, in general, loathed the idea of actually caring for children, or even really being married. And while there was nothing wrong with being an independent woman, Logan had to ensure that his crush - his fling - his _love_ didn't end up being one of those pitiful Cougars with long acrylic nails and bad dye jobs. And how do you ensure that Logan was not only remembered, but also that Louise didn't go down the wrong path? By marrying the girl, of course!

Okay, well - marriage is a strong word. But Logan was definitely done with this "loving from afar" bullshit. All that had earned him was a brief, frivolous fling with the girl he wanted to spend, well, a long time with. So Logan decided he was going to take a page from Louise's book, and actually be direct. And this time, he was going to be direct with the one person he had been stepping on eggshells with: Bob. Logan's furious sweeping was interrupted by (speak of the devil) Bob, who asked the blonde to help him unload boxes in the back. He propped his broom against the wall before joining the man outside, exhaling and inhaling deeply as he tried to muster up courage.

Outside, morning rays of sun reached down into the, usually, dark and damp alleyway - causing the environment to have something of a happy feel to it. One that was liberating and casual, almost like when he and Bob talked about Louise's plunge into puberty. But, as Logan neared the opened truck, the shadow of a building cast itself down on him - and an ominous vibe soon settled. Ignoring the chills that ran down his spine, Logan hoisted various boxes of packaged meat out the truck. While Logan was perfectly fine, Bob, in his decrepit age, was already huffing and grunting - ill prepared for such "hard labor". Trying to stifle his laughter, Logan averted his gaze from Bob's hunched over figure, and instead focused on getting as many boxes as possible.

With the truck fully unloaded now, Logan was just beginning to feel the hints of exhaustion. Bob, however, was _still_ huffing and puffing, now sitting against the house. Logan joined him, and hid his snickering smile behind his folded up legs - but Bob still caught it.

"What are y-you….you laughing at?" He asked, between heavy pants.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Logan said, unable to look his manager in the eye.

"Well, just so you know, when I...I w-was your age - I could….unload….t-twice as many….boxes as you - as you did now."

"Oh, really?"

"Yep. H - heavy...heavy ones too. You have...no idea - oh my god I'm so tired, Jesus."

Logan laughed as he quickly went inside, fetched two bottle of beers, and then handed it to Bob. Who was beginning to relax now.

"You're gonna need some extra muscle working around her someday, Bob. You're getting...too, uh, _seasoned_ for this stuff."

"'Seasoned'? Where'd you find that word? The dictionary."

"Where'd you find that come back? The trash?"

"Actually, I made it myself."

"So...the trash."

"Yeesh, you've got just as much bite as Louise."

He said, before the two men laughed - proud of their jabs at the other. As their laughing dyed out, Logan's smile dissipated, and he felt the question clawing its way up his throat.

"So, uh, speaking of Louise...and, uh, new muscle…"

"Yeah?" Bob asked, after Logan's voice had trailed off.

"Um, why won't you let her date...employees, Bob? Because, I mean, if you get a decent guy carrying boxes and stuff...wouldn't you want him to be...carrying your grandchildren?" Logan whimpered. Bob gave him a suspicious glare as he took a long sip from his beer, causing Logan to blurt out "I'm, uh, asking for a friend."

 _So much for being direct._

"Look, it's nothing personal with this…'friend' or whatever. But it's...I had a bad experience when I was a kid."

"Bad? How bad?"

"Well, absolute worst of the worst. I mean, it's part of the reason why I have such a...poor relationship with my father."

"What happened?"

Bob took one last long sip from his bottle before continuing, looking out at the sun speckled alley way as he spoke.

"When I was about...eighteen, I think, my dad hired this girl named Barbara Bunkley, this chick that I absolutely worshipped. I mean, I kissed the ground she walked and would be super sensitive. Like, if she didn't even look at me I would freak out and think I was all 'unmemorable' and 'forgettable' and whatever. And, even weirder, I was obsessed with her scent."

"Her scent?"

"Yeah. It was, uh, cherry Chapstick and gummy worms. Absolutely loved it. You know the feeling?"

Logan knew the feeling _extremely_ well. But, suppressing a nervous gulp, he nodded "no".

"Well, anyway, I was obsessed with this chick. And pretty late into the game, my dad, finally, noticed my crush and got super weird and said we couldn't date. This oddly made me courageous enough to ask her out, and, you know, we dated. Kinda. Well, it was mostly hooking up. I mean, I got why it had to be secret, so I didn't really suspect much when she said we couldn't tell anyone about us. And I was a kid, so I didn't mind that our relationship consisted just of making out and whatever. So, yeah, this went on for a long time. And I really thought I loved her. She was my first...everything. And she was athletic, and flirty, and older too - so she bought me beers and stuff."

"So when did everything turn to shit?"

"When I found out that she was also sleeping with my dad." Bob said, causing Logan to choke on his beer.

"Yep. She was doing both of us. It's possibly one of my most embarrassing secrets. I mean, my dad and I literally spent _all_ our time together - and yet we didn't even know we were sharing the same woman."

"How'd you find out?"

"I was sick at school one day, and my dad never came to pick me up - instead telling me to walk. I guess so he could have more time with...her. But I got a ride from a friend, and I came home earlier than they thought, and I found them...in the kitchen."

Based on Bob's disgusted, slightly scarred, expression, Logan asked "It was that bad?"

"Yep. Real bad."

"But I don't get it. Are you, like, afraid that Louise's boyfriend is going to sleep with Linda or something?"

"What? Oh god no. I'm just...based on the Belcher family luck, it seems everything goes to shit real quick. And I don't want Louise's boyfriend to be as disastrous as what happened to me."

"Bob, if you're trying to save Louise from heartbreak, than you're too late-"

"-I know. I know what happened with Rudy. And, wow, I feel horrible about that."

"Why? It's not like you caused it to happen."

"No. But I also didn't cause Louise to scrape her knee and cry when she was six. Or to fall off her bike. Or to burn her hand on the grill. But I still feel horrible. Because I _could've_ prevented it. I could've carried her, or bought her training wheels, or made sure she didn't go near the grill, or...or...not date a boy who was so obviously in love with someone else. And that's the issue. I just don't want to see her get hurt all over again. Especially with someone she can't, like, avoid. Because if it's an employee, especially one that's hard working, there's no way I'm firing them."

And that last sentence ended up being the most hopeful thing Logan heard Bob say about the subject. Everything else just made his heart drop.

* * *

Dejected, and rather exhausted, Logan made his way up the stairs, fully prepared to just spend his lunch break as a vacant vessel watching daytime television - far too disappointed by Bob's saddening tale to even brainstorm of any other methods that could convince the elderly man to sway with Logan's opinion. However, just as the blonde plopped down on the couch, he heard a monotone, near masculine voice, murmur his name.

"Tina?" Logan asked, looking around the room, even at the ceiling, in an attempt to locate the speaker. He ended up finding a dark head of hair with a pair of glasses peeking behind the corner.

"Tina, why are you hiding? You're in your own house."

"Oh. Right." She said, much louder now, before stepping out from her "hiding spot" and revealing her far taller, evenly proportioned, though slightly chubby, self. She plops down besides Logan, earning his confused, slightly concerned stare, when she says nothing, only staring into the distance, before abruptly twisting her head and staring directly at him - all for dramatic affect.

"We have an _urgent_ topic to discuss." She said.

"Uh...okay. Shoot."

"I heard you're talk with Dad."

"Yeah. And?"

"And I know about your crush on Louise."

Logan immediately tensed, giving away any secrecy, and yet he still questioned what he should do. Immediately deny the claim? Agree to it? Be casual?

"...my wha?..." He croaked, awkwardly looking away from her intense stare.

"Don't play stupid, you gorgeous dingbat. Your infatuation with my sister is as obvious as the handsomeness of your face!"

"Um, thank you…?"

"Don't thank me yet, because I'm going to help you get with her."

"Why?" He asked, sitting up now - fully invested in the conversation. "Well, more importantly, _how?_ "

"By talking to her of course."

"Then no thank you." Logan said, slumping back into his seat again.

"No, I'm not going to tell her that you like her."

"Well, she kinda knows."

"Oh, well, you still need my help."

"And why's that?"

"Because you - not the friend you were 'asking for' - _clearly_ want to date Louise. But Bob said no."

"Yeah. How could you help me? Are you going to convince Bob or something?"

"I can't be the one to do that. Because I'm not, like, dating you. But I could convince Louise to want to date you, who'd than try to convince Dad to let you two date. And nobody's a better 'convicer' than my sister."

"Convincing isn't forcing, Tina."

"Well, yeah - but I'll try and sway Louise to, you know, 'fight for you'."

"How?"

"I mean, it shouldn't be too hard. Considering she likes you too."

Logan examined the girl, who's placid, but certainly focused, expression was barely seen from behind her thick, dark bangs and glasses. Logan's own searching stare collapsed into that of defeat.

"Alright. But don't get me fired, Tina-rannosaurus _wrecks_."

"Wow. That was two puns in one word. How has my father not already tried to adopt you or something?"

"What? My puns are amazing!"

"Keep telling yourself that, you handsome fool…" She said, disappearing down the hall. Even after the padding of Tina's sock covered feet had faded off down the hallway, Logan was left staring towards her direction - already unsure about all of this.


	11. Chapter 11

Never before had Tina been so grateful to be back home, flipping burgers and listening to her mother's off key singing.

Not to say that university wasn't a delight, which it was. Tina was currently studying to get a degree in mass communications, hoping that that would allow her a job in broadcast journalism. Such an ambition was inspired by Tina's time with Wagstaff School News (WSN) - a short lived period that prompted Tina to often stand before a mirror, holding a hairbrush up to her mouth, as she discussed the latest news on Jimmy Jr.'s glorious butt. Sometimes, she would even do such practice before her family - awkwardly standing there as she motioned towards an "invisible" screen and explained the magnificence of horses. And though she wasn't talking about horses and butts at school anymore, she was still having a good time.

Initially, leaving for university was tough. Extremely tough. Bob was absolutely distraught that Tina, his prized daughter - the one who always promised to be, and usually was, at his side, was now taking off after miraculously winning a hefty scholarship through a national writing competition. His immediate reaction to her announcement was to yell "What?", and then ask Tina how she could possibly _abandon_ her own family. So not the best reaction.

While Linda was supportive of Tina's decision, her constant wailing slowed down her daughter's attempts to pack, and Tina found herself fantasizing about the silence of college, seeing as her, uh, _vocal_ mother wouldn't be there. Despite Linda's crying, Tina would much rather deal with her sadness than Bob's - who silent, somber brooding caused a layer of tension to fill the home. Tina was overflowing with guilt, with her mother sobbing, Gene clutching her legs, Louise's voice wavering as she hid her own sadness, and, worst of all, Bob's coldness towards the girl. It didn't matter that months had passed since Tina first announced she was leaving, Bob had stayed sullen that entire time. And then she was seconds from boarding the plane, embarrassed by her siblings' and mother's refusal to let her go, as they clawed at her and cried loudly. With a clear, erupting voice, Bob yelled "Enough!", picked up Tina's bag, and said he was going to walk her to the gate.

It was there that Bob, finally, apologized, and told Tina how immensely proud he was of his daughter. And Tina, despite all the previous wishes to escape the rundown restaurant and her embarrassing family, found herself crying so hard, she could barely speak. Unable to say good bye, or make a joke, or do anything - she just hugged her father as tightly as she could, only then realizing, due to the shaking of his shoulders, that he was crying to. And then she was gone.

Well, not _gone_. She was in Chicago: the windy city, where she was so busy with growing that all previous homesickness, though never fully disappearing, was blotted out by the fun that came with her newfound independence. At university, she excelled in her classes - despite her previous failures at high school in subjects like P.E. and Pre-Calculus - and made quite a few friends. Turns out, in art school, there are a lot of other monotone, "friend fiction" writing, horse loving students - who ogled over Tina's vast collection of steamy, erotic fan fiction, and her impressive knowledge of Equestranauts - both the original _and_ the reboot. And college also brought on a lot of changes - or "soul searching". At least, that's what Tina claimed she was doing when she told Linda of how she had dyed her hair a horrid shade of green, became a vegan, gotten a tramp stamp of a horse shoe, and even moved in with her girlfriend after dating for, well, a week.

Eventually, Tina came down from the initial high that comes with being without parents. She let her hair go back to it's natural color, she gave into the immense cravings for a burger - which only brought on bittersweet feelings of nostalgia, and she realized that she wasn't as into Alexa as she claimed to be, and the two went back to being friends. But, even without all the liberal changes, Tina was still having fun. School offered a new topic everyday, and she loved how enveloped she became with whatever story she was asked to report on. Even her siblings, who were once more interested in how much weed she was smoking rather than the tsunamis occurring around the globe, would stay on the phone for hours just to listen to Tina yammer on about the latest topic that she was researching.

Despite all the fun she was having at school, Tina was overjoyed to be with her family due to, well - a boy. More specifically, Henry Haber.

Yes, that's right - Henry Haber: dinosaur lover, graphic novel writer, action figure collector, and possibly the biggest dork known to man. He had ended up at the university so as to get a degree in video game design - which was a less popular subject of the rather artsy, philosophical school. Because of this, Henry was rather unpopular, and took to hiding away in the library where he played Dungeons and Dragons with other acne covered, adult braces wearing students. Tina didn't even know about Henry's coexistence until one fateful, stormy day that Chicago often sees. While passing by the library, barely able to push through the wind's strong push, Tina was startled when a tree branch, snapping due to the storm's pressure, swung into her face and cracked her glasses. Blind and bleeding from her nose, Tina stumbled into the library - and fell into Henry's open arms.

Despite the "romantic" introduction, their initial interactions were similar to that of high school: they absolutely loathed each other, both introducing the other, to their group of friends, as a total dork. Honestly, all contact between the two would've ended had Tina's laptop not broken, causing her trips to the library to become more frequent. There, Henry admonished Tina on her poor knowledge of technology, java lingo, and Star Trek trivia, while Tina mocked him for his inability to speak to even the friendliest of females. Somehow, their teasing evolved into playfulness, and then into actual conversations - one that were sometimes sincere and sweet, such as when the two both admitted the constant loneliness and isolation that comes with being a teenage dork. And then, one day, while the two were leaving the library, Henry slipped his hand into Tina's and didn't remove his grasp. Despite her confused look, Henry didn't try to explain - or even take notice of her expression, instead just casually walking alongside her while holding hands. Testing the waters, Tina then introduced him as her "boyfriend" to her professor, and, after not being corrected by the boy, she realized that the title was, indeed, factual.

So when did things go wrong? Well, there was no real downward spiral or a shift in their relationship, which mostly consisted of obsessing over the latest shows on Syfy, eating chinese take out in their underwear, and having vanilla sex with the lights off and both of their shirts on. Actually, this was sort of a perfect relationship for Tina - but one that was a short lived thing, and not something that continued for the rest of her life. Tina wanted her husband to be sophisticated, outgoing, charming - and she wanted the build up to their eventual marriage to be just as exciting. But what she had with Henry was the polar opposite of that, seeing as how their relationship was as equally dull as the $2 bouquets Henry would occasionally buy in a pitiful attempt to be the romantic Tina requested him to be.

"So what's the problem than?" Louise said in response to Tina's long, seemingly random, explanation as to _why_ she was at home. "I mean, you just said that you and Henry are doing alright. Granted boring, but it's not like you're going to _marry_ the guy."

"Well…" Tina murmured, not tearing away her gaze from the road that they drove on.

"Tina, are you engaged to him!?"

The two were in the van, heading for a B-horror movie - one that Tina loathed, but had agreed to in hopes of getting Louise alone, so Tina could carry out the promise she had made to Logan. She had hoped that, maybe, by admitting her own romance troubles, Tina would be able to get Louise to open up about Logan. Instead, she was seeing no cracks in her sister's hard exterior, and it looked as if the only one who was extorting any information was Louise - as usual.

"No. I'm not. I'm very sure that I gave Henry a soft maybe - but I think he interpreted that to be a 'yes'."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, for one - he updated his Facebook relationship status to 'engaged'."

"Oh god. Who even uses Facebook anymore…?"

"Exactly! And I don't even know why he wants to be engaged. We haven't even said 'I love you' but he wants to marry me!"

"So what are you going to do? Walk down the aisle with him?" Louise said, with a mischievous snicker.

"Maybe…."

"Wha - I - Tina! That was a fricken' joke!"

"Oh."

"Tina you can't marry him. Just leave him! You can do it over the phone, through a letter, send an owl - I don't care, just do it!"

"Louise, it's not that simple."

"No. It is. Watch me. 'I'm. Breaking. Up. With. You."

"Louise!" Tina yelled, as best as she could - considering the monotonous way of her voice - and slammed her hands on the wheel. In reality, she wasn't all that angry, and even felt some remorse for hitting the innocent driving wheel so hard. But to bring out an emotional response, you've got to _give_ an emotional response. "It's not that simple, you...fool. I'm afraid of….of….dying alone!"

Tina then hid her eyes down on the wheel and wrapped her arms around her head, shaking her shoulders slightly to appear as if she were crying. Past her acted out sniffles and whimpers, Tina could hear Louise, sounding rather unimpressed, say "Tina….tina…..sweetie….". Lifting her head and wiping away an "invisible" tear, Tina looked at a rather bored Louise.

"Yeah. Not gonna work."

"What? But I practiced for hours on my fake crying!"

"Well, watch some Claire Danes movies. She's got the whole cry face thing down. Why do you think I'm so good? But, anyway, why are you fake crying? Are you even 'engaged' to Henry."

"No. I am. But...Logan sent me to...check up on you."

"Aw, what? God - I - Jeezus! Not cool! Not cool!"

"Well, what else is he supposed to do? You haven't spoken to him!"

"I was with him last night!"

"Last night? What were you doing last night?"

"Uh, 'it'!"

"You had sex with Logan?!"

"Wait - you don't know about the whole story but you're still, like, extorting information for him?"

"Well, it's obvious he has a crush on you - and I _know_ you like him too - especially now that I know you two did... _that_. And I overheard him asking Dad if he'd allow you to date an employee."

"He was asking that?" Louise said, her voice reaching the high pitch that it would on the rare occasion Louise ever felt genuine surprise.

"Yeah, of course. You two slept together. Why wouldn't he?"

"The reason why we did that was because we _didn't_ want to be in, like, a relationship."

"That makes no sense."

"I - well, it did in the moment. And it's like, you know, we both agreed we couldn't do a relationship anytime soon but I needed to lose my v-card so why not him-"

"-Louise, you never _need_ to lose your virginity. I learned that from sex-ed."

"No, I do. Like, I really do."

"Why?"

"Ugh, it's this whole thing where I have to, like, sleep with this guy and all that - just, never mind that. Focused on what's important-"

"-Wait, you're actually _going_ _through_ with that!? That sounds kinda important-"

"-Tina! Focus! What did Logan say!?"

"He said he wanted to date you! I mean, not exactly - but it's very clear that he does. So that's all that matters! So just stop this whole not-dating-stuff, and just date him!"

"I...I….."

"What's holding you back, Louise? You like him, he likes you. That's literally all you need to start a relationship!"

"I do like him. I do. But….Rudy…."

"Oh god, _him!?_ That's what's stopping you?"

"Yes, of course that's what's stopping me! I loved him and...and he…."

Based on the slight wavering of her voice, Tina realized that Louise was near tears. All her life, Tina had wanted to see her sister cry. Not in a cruel way, but just so she could see her sister's soft, jelly inside - something that Tina was certain existed. But now that she was actually finally getting that chance, a strange fear filled her - as if finally seeing Louise crack would be like watching a diamond shatter. It's just not something you want to happen. Tentatively, Tina placed a hand on her shoulder and said "It's okay. I'm sorry. I get it. I really do."

"Thank you, T. Just...please don't tell Mom and Dad."

"Yeah. Of course. And don't tell them about Henry. Because I know Mom really wants us to, like, get married."

"Yeah. Okay."

The two sisters looked at each other with slight, small smiles, their eyes, identical in appearance, looking deep into the other's.

"So." Tina began, hoping to lighten the mood. "How was it?"

"How was what?"

"Logan of course!"

"Oh. Yeah. He was…uh…"

"Oh, wow. That bad?"

"Oh - what? No, I mean, like, it was _amazing_."

"Why?"

"He's very...he knows what he's doing. Definitely knows what he's doing."

"Yeesh. The guy I lost it to thought 'g-spot' was a military term."

"Who _did_ you lose it to?"

"Louise, I told this to you, like, years ago!"

"Yeah, but I was sixteen and dating Rudy and, you know, sure that I was all set with that whole 'finding-a-guy-to-lose-it-to' thing."

"Oh well. I lost it to Jonas. He was in Chicago and I met up with him. One thing led to another and you know..."

"Oh god, that guy! The one who played that horrible accordion thing."

"-melodica. But, yeah, him."

"Why? Of all the people, I thought you'd lose it to somebody that you, like, loved or whatever. Like Jimmy Jr."

"Yeah. I dunno. We almost did one time. That night was a crazy...crazy…time…"

"Why? When did it happen?"

"The day before I left for college."

"Well, what happened?"

Tina could feel a familiar bittersweet nostalgia fill her, and her grip tightened around the driver's wheel.

"I didn't want to be with Jonas that night. Or any other man for that matter. Hell, every member of Boyz 4 Now could ask me, but I would still turn them down, just so I could go on one last date with Jimmy Jr."

"He actually agreed to go?"

"Of course! It was my last day. Actually, Jimmy Jr. was kind of emotional."

* * *

 _Walking down a dimly lit street, Tina and Jimmy held each other's hands in peaceful silence, the dark haired girl enveloped by the boys parka which she wore on her slumped over shoulders. Oblivious to the inner turmoil going on inside his head, Tina was slightly taken aback when Jimmy Jr. abruptly stopped their walking, right beneath a stop light. Placing both his hands on Tina's shoulders, he stared right into her eyes and said, with absolute determination "I'm going to miss you so much, Tina."_

" _I'm going to miss you too, Jimmy Jr." Tina responded, but with far less emotion as Jimmy's wavering voice._

" _No. I mean, I'm going to really miss you. Like, I don't...I don't want this night to end. I don't want you to go….I...Tina, please…."_

 _The realization of how genuine Jimmy was being dawned on Tina, causing her once blissful expression to slowly melt into that of confusion, sympathy, and, most of all, guilt. After letting out a long exhale, Tina took Jimmy's hand off her shoulder and clasped it between her palms._

" _Jimmy Jr., I can't stay here forever. And I can't chase after you forever. But, what we can do, is fit a forever's worth of fun in this single night."_

" _How?"_

 _Not responding, Tina, with a devious smile, just looked at the nearby gas station - which, beneath rays of moonlight in the isolating darkness of night - looked almost holy in its appearance._

 _The storekeeper, from behind his newspaper, gave the skittish teenage couple several suspicious glares, bothered by how the one, who's gender became ambiguous due to the baggy jacket...it...wore, kept on letting a rolling, monotone moan, while the light haired boy kept on murmuring something and giving quick, nervous glances at the locked shelf of cigarettes behind the cash register._

" _How do we...how do we do this, Tina? He's guarding the cigarettes!"_

" _We could, uh, bribe him?"_

" _We have no money! We spent it all on dinner!"_

" _How? We went to Taco Bell-"_

" _Whatever, Tina! Maybe we should just...compromise? Just steal a...a...ooh - a hair clip!" He suggested, happily pulling out a clip from the shelf and snapping it quickly._

" _Jimmy Jr., listen. This night is supposed to contain a forever's worth of fun. So, you know what, a lot of mistakes are made in forever. Maybe this is one of them."_

" _Okay. Let's...let's….do something stupid!"_

" _Right! I've got an idea. A real_ _ **stupid**_ _idea."_

 _The storekeeper than saw the dark haired teen motion something while furiously whispering into the boy's ear. Then the boy walked towards the counter, stopped when he noticed the storekeeper's stare, and went down the aisle. The dark haired one then stepped up to the cashier. Doing something that must've been a curtsy, though it wasn't very clear do to the oversized jacket, and then said "Hello, good sir."_

" _Uh, hi." He answered._

" _Pardon my rudeness, but I require, uh, assistance! Yes! I require assistance."_

" _Uh, with what?"_

" _Oh, uh...I need you...to…" She said, while searching the store before finally landing on a brightly colored object on the top shelf of an aisle "Bring that piñata down for me!"_

" _Uh, I'll need to get a ladder…"_

" _Great! I mean, uh, cool. That's fine. Whatever."_

 _Grumbling as he did, the storekeeper went, with his aching joints and knees, to the back and fetched a ladder. As he neared the counter again, he could hear the sound of rattling door hinges and frantic whispering. A feeling of suspicion began to fill him, and his footsteps quickened until he was full on running. With a squid as he turned the corner, he found the teenage couple, hunched over behind the counter, tugging on the cigarette cabinet's locked doors._

" _Hey!" The storekeeper called out, causing the two to whip around - looking like two deers caught in headlights - before the boy, after some panicked fumbling, grabbed a bottle of whiskey, swung it down on the lock, frantically pulled out a pile of cigarettes, and then run towards the automatic door entrance. In response to the storekeeper's lunge at the two rapscallions, Tina pulled down a shelf of magazines - blocking the storekeeper's path. As Jimmy Jr. and Tina sprinted into the parking lot, disappearing with darkness, the man cursed their names - annoyed with the mess those two had formed in mere minutes._

 _From a distance, the image of two huddled over figures, trying to share a single jacket, sat by the watchtower - facing the peaceful, dark ocean. A flame of red could be seen, before the girl then started hacking._

" _Wow. That - that's terrible."_

" _Well, we've got, like, twenty other packets. So…" Jimmy said, placing his own lit cigarette between his teeth._

" _What if we get in trouble?"_

" _We probably will."_

" _What? Really?"_

" _I mean, the store probably has security cameras. And it's a small neighborhood. We'll probably see him again. And we might get arrested - seeing as we broke, you know, private property. And than you'll get kicked out of college."_

" _Really!?"_

" _But hey, at least this was a hell of a lot of fun!"_

" _I…" Tina was about to begin a panic rambling about how she could_ _ **not**_ _lost her scholarship, before noticing the sad, near tears expression on Jimmy's."Yeah. This was a lot of fun. Thanks, Jimmy Jr."_

 _Due to how close they were sitting in an attempt to retain warmth, Louise barely had to lean over when she placed a soft, delicate kiss on Jimmy Jr.'s cold, rosy tinged cheek. He flinched slightly, looking at Tina's pleased smile - before a wide, goofy grin spread on his face. And then, cupping her face, Jimmy have Tina a long, passionate kiss - one that was more likely to be found in a dramatic film noir, and not between two dweebish teenagers. Breaking the kiss, but barely breaking the close contact between their lips, Jimmy murmured "Tina, I have to confess something."_

" _What, Jimmy Jr.?" She asked, slightly afraid._

" _I stole something else from that store."_

" _What?"_

 _Not responding, Jimmy just pulled out some sort of foil object from his pocket, which crinkled as he brought it up to Tina's eye level. Between his fingers, Jimmy held a condom. For a moment, an expression of only surprise rested on Tina's face, until it stretched into that of amusement and a laugh escaped her lips._

" _Wha-what? What's so funny?"_

" _Jimmy Jr., I'm not going to lose my virginity to you."_

" _What?!"_

 _All laughing stopped, and Tina calmly explained "I don't wanna give it away on some cold, dark, stinky beach - when I haven't shaved, or put on deodorant, or even showered!"_

" _That's kinda gross, Tina - wait, no. That's not the point. I...this is our last night together. I want to make it special."_

" _It already is special. But I don't want to lose my virginity on the fly, or with sadness in my heart. I want the moment that I lose it to be a happy, planned out occasion - and, most importantly, someone that I trust, but that I'm not afraid to say goodbye to."_

" _Do you not trust me, Tina?"_

" _Of course I do! I just don't want to say goodbye. Because this isn't goodbye. I promise. It's not."_

" _But how do you know? You're going away to school! And, I mean, there is no way I'm helping my dad run that dinky little restaurant. I wanna get out of here! I wanna be somebody! And I want to be somebody with you, Tina!"_

" _You are somebody. You're my somebody."_

" _No I'm not! I didn't even take your, you know, virginity."_

" _Just because you didn't have sex with me doesn't mean that you're unimportant to me."_

" _But then what am I to you?"_

" _You're my longest crush. My first kiss. My first slow dance. My first non-blood related male friend." She said, quickly spewing out the last part. "But, most importantly, you're my first love, Jimmy Jr."_

" _First love?"_

" _Yeah. First love."_

" _How do you know?"_

" _I dunno. I just do. I've the most heart wrenching devotion to you for about four years now. I think that's something more than just a little crush, don't you."_

" _Yeah. Yeah, you're right. And I...I love you, Tina."_

 _And with that, the two teenagers, both hands clasped in the others, leaned in for a long, slow, finale kiss. One that would eventually break apart, but "last" for a much longer time. Even when Jimmy Jr. was lying on his bed, trying to wish away the ache in his heart, could feel the kiss - alive on his lips. And Tina, moments from falling asleep on her plane ride for Chicago, touched her lips - noticing the warm, tingly sensation that was dancing along on the pink skin._

"Tina? Tina!?" Louise screamed, breaking through Tina's blissful thoughts. She turned away from the window, unsure as to what was going on.

"Tina, you've just been staring out the window for, like, ever! Can we just go!"

And off they went.


	12. Chapter 12

In the dark theater, pairs of whispering viewers were scattered amongst the seats, all munching on popcorn while watching the large screen before them. The sound of a loud explosion could be heard, which was soon followed by a flash of red, illuminating Tina's face, which was covered by her hands out of fear, and Louise's, which showed an expression of utter awe. While the older Belcher sister had utter regret towards her visit to the theater, seeing as it was all done to get - what turned out to be - very little information out of Louis, the other had completely forgotten about her sister's extorting of information or even their previous talk of boys. The only male human that she cared about was the one being eaten alive by vampires up on the screen.

Louise's utter fascination with the massacre before her was, rudely, interrupted by the intruding feeling of fingers tugging on her hair. First, she didn't respond as she was sure it was just a small baby who had somehow managed to get into the gory movie and was far too young to receive an ass whooping from Louise. But when she felt another tug, as well as an obnoxious "pssst!" from the offender, Louise was quick to whip around and give the person a strong glare. As soon as she made out his face in the dark, her sharp stare melted into one of utter shock. Of all the people to end up sitting behind her, it turned out to be Rudolph Stieblitz.

"Louise, I need to talk to you!" He hissed into her ear, the sudden explosion on screen illuminating the concern in his wide, begging eyes. But, to his annoyance, the dark haired girl, not even changing her stunned expression, stiffly rotated her head so she was facing the screen again, a low, monotone groan exiting her mouth - one that was similar to her sister, who was intently focused on shielding her eyes from the grotesque movie to even notice the mini heart attack Louise was having. Rudy, scrambling down to the Belcher sister's row of seats, then tugged on the girl's arm, dragging her from the theater so quickly that Tina couldn't even protest against her sister's departure. Of course, she didn't really notice either, as she was too busy trying to distract herself with the thought of unicorns.

Rudy managed to pull Louise all the way to the "private" hiding space behind a cardboard display, which advertised some rom-com, before the Belcher, regaining her wits, began to claw and kick her way out of the boy's grasp.

"What the hell do you think you're doing touching me?!" She spat, a deep, bubbling rage forming in the pit of her gut - it's acidic liquid spewing out from her gnashing teeth in the form of various, muttered curses.

"I had to talk to you! I found out about you and Hunter-"

"Oh? Did you also find out about how I hate your guts and want nothing to do with you!?"

"Well, I was already aware of that - but that's not the point! I need to convince you to not go through with this whole v-card thing or whatever."

"You need to convince me!? You don't need to do shit! For example, I don't need to gut punch you - but I certainly would love to!"

"Look, if you're doing this to make me jealous or something-"

"Oh-ho-HO! You actually thought I was doing this because of _you_. Wow! How narcissistic can you get!?"

"Well, I was kinda left to guess all the details seeing as how you aren't talking to Jessica and I."

"Yeah. That might be because you two assholes cheated on me! And for you're information, I can sleep with whoever the hell I want - and you can't say shit about it, because we are not dating anymore!"

"Louise, please. I come as a friend. Not as an ex."

The dark haired girl let out a long exhale, realizing just how fast her heart rate was beating. She scanned the boy before her, noticing that the deep concern she had seen in his eyes before was still there, as well as his short, ginger hair, and athletic figure - one that she had swooned over for years, until he then cheated on Louise with her best friend. The ass.

"Look, Rudy, there's nothing you can do to convince me of otherwise. I have a debt to pay." She said, sounding defeated. However, the tone of her voice suddenly soured when she said "I'd've thought Jessica already told you this - seeing as she also ambushed me to ask about Hunter."

"We're just worried."

"Well, you're not my parents, so you can take your concern and shove it up your-"

"And we're sorry, Louise. Really sorry."

"Bullshit."

"Honest, we-"

"-You're just saying you're sorry so you don't have to deal with the reputation of being the guy who broke the heart of ol' wrathful Louise Belcher, and then everybody will stop telling you how you have balls of steel for actually cheating on the hag!" Both Rudy and Louise were shocked by the abrupt cracks of pain forming in her rant, and the sudden formation of tears in the girl's glaring eyes caused a strange feeling of calm to form in the boy.

"No. I'm not. Cross my heart and swear to die. I'm more sorry than you could ever imagine."

"Prove it." She said, quickly wiping away the tears trailing down her red, sniffling nose.

"Well, I don't exactly have a signed document or something but…." He began, trailing off when Louise, her tense figure breaking out of exhaustion, slide her back down the wall before hitting the floor - where she vacantly stared at her track ravaged sneakers. With an almost loving smile, Rudy looked down on the defeated Belcher, before joining her on the carpeted floor - sure to keep some distance between the two. "...But you need to know how much time, and how much drama there was before the whole messy break up."

"Rudy, I know that you and Jessica had history-"

"-No, it's...it's not that simple. I know it seems like Jessica was always this chick I loved, and you were some side girl who I was manipulating or something-"

"Yeah. That's exactly what it seems like."

"Well, it's not. Okay? I told you just the basic story that time at Scott Sherman's party. But there was so much more to it. I didn't get to tell you about all the times I was with you, and I would forget about Jessica, or how whenever my parents asked me what I was going to do in the future, I just told them it was up to my girlfriend: Louise. There were genuine moments where I would look at you, and be so, so grateful that I got someone as...as...beautiful as you." He said, his hand slowly inching more and more towards Louise. But as soon as his pinky made contact, she flinched, looked up at Rudy with red rimmed eyes that rotted into a glare of absolute distaste, before snapping the _infected_ hand back to her chest.

"That's nice, Rudy. But those were just moments. And I'm pretty sure that, except for those rare moments, you were busy thinking about my best friend in her training bra."

"It's not like that Louise. I swear, on my father's grave, that there was never a single moment that I thought about Jessica in a...non-platonic way...without immediately feeling guilt. And I know that my remorse doesn't excuse the fact that I cheated on you, or that I was stringing you along, or lying to you - but I don't care if you don't forgive me. Well, I do. And I would literally kill to have your forgiveness. But, what I mean, is that if you never, ever forgive me - than I won't blame you. I will never, ever call you a 'hag', or a 'scorned wench', or a 'bitch', or anything because you never forgave me. I will only be understanding. But I needed you to know, because I'm hoping that it'll ease your mind, just the smallest bit, that leaving you was never an easy thing. You weren't some throw away girl. You were the love of my life. I swear, you were. Things just got complicated. As they always do. And, yeah, I did know Jessica before you. And we were romantic before I dated you. We were step-siblings. Kinda. My Dad and her mom were dating. And it was weird and neither of us liked the relationship. Hell, we didn't even like each other. But time went on and we just found ourselves looking for to each other whenever things got bad. And, yeah, I lost it to her. And I'm so sorry about that. That's the main reason why I never...did it with you. Because I didn't want to lose it to you while pretending to be a virgin. Especially when you were one yourself. That just seemed so...gross and manipulative to me. And, now that I look back on it, it must've seemed like I didn't want you. That I only had eyes for Jessica. Well, that's not true - ugh, I don't know if that sounds good. I'm sorry if I sound pervy since I'm pretty much saying that I was, like, into both you and your best friend. But I'm trying to explain that I never found you to be...undesirable or something. I wanted to be with you in 'that way' really bad. But I felt that not touching you made me, I dunno, more of a gentleman, seeing as I had lied when I said when you were the first girl I'd ever touched. And Jessica never had a full on romance while I was with you. I've never even called her my girlfriend before. And I know that this is terrible, but, yes, there were a few occasions where Jessica and were, uh, intimate...while I was dating you. But as soon as it was over, I would have so much regret that it would hurt. Literally, it would physically hurt me. That's how much I loved - no, _love_ you, Louise. And I don't mean in a romantic way. I guess love isn't really romantic. I mean, being in a relationship involves touch and kissing. But love is...love is just this deep care. And that's what I have for you, Louise. I love you so much that the thought of betraying you caused me to feel literal pain. "

Looking away from his own scab studded knees, Rudy found Louise to be turned away from him, the only discernible noise being her soft breathing. Fearing that her silence was out of anger, and that, now, she was just ignoring him, he scrambled to find more words.

"And Jessica feels bad. I know she said sorry when you guys talked at the grocery store, but then she told you about how we had...yeah...but I need to explain that the main reason why she and I weren't a couple even sooner was because of her. She was the one always saying we couldn't be together because she never, ever wanted to hurt you. She loves you too, Louise. To the ends of the earth. Even now, she's goes on about how irreplaceable your friendship will always be. And you hating her is absolutely tearing her up. And I'm not saying you have to forgive her as well. I'm not saying you have to do anything. But, I mean, we haven't even been romantic recently because the guilt….it's - it's just been suffocating as both. And we're so, so, so sorry Louise. We both still, and always will, love you. You're loud, and alive, and fun, and the world seems to revolve around you - in a good way. Yeesh, I'm not doing well at this….but - but I just need you to know that, not for a second, did either one of us intend to hurt you."

Still, only silence emitted from the dark haired girl beside him, whose pink bunny ears Rudy anxiously stared into, desperate for some sort of reply. A cry, a curse, a sour retort, even a punch would've satisfied the boy. But, of all the responses he expected, she surprised him when, with a voice wavering from the obvious presence of tears, she vacantly spat out "Thank you, Rudy."

Did his ears deceive him? Had Louise Belcher, queen of bad manners and surly quips just said "thank you" to him? Was this a prank? An introduction to some long rant that insulted and belittled him? In all honesty, he would've much rather be verbally - no, even physically abused by the girl, rather than have the emptiness between them be filled by a deafening, stony silence. He sputtered, looking for questions or objections, but found his throat was clamped shut - too shocked by his old lover's detached response to even work properly.

And then, interrupting the tension filled quietness, Louise swiftly stood up and walked out from behind the cardboard display - leaving Rudy to stew in his stunned silence.


	13. Chapter 13

It wasn't until the movies gory and well anticipated end that Tina had noticed her sister was missing. Having been so preoccupied with going to a far less Nazi vampire infested place in her head, everything around her had melted away. Even in her girly day dreams though, Tina couldn't escape the constant, ominous Henry Haber - whose intrusion on her unicorn island was abrupt and uncalled for. Often, he would appear as an vampire wearing a Nazi uniform - like the gruesome movie's revolting villians - and carrying the most horrifying sight of all: an engagement ring.

Exiting the theater with the murmuring, chattering crowd, Tina looked around in search of her pink beanie wearing sister - who shouldn't have been so indiscernible amongst the hatless people, and yet she remained unseen. She began to panic, realizing that Louise was still, unfortunately, under their father's extremely cheap roof, meaning she never did purchase a cell phone for which Tina could contact her by. She questioned heading towards the help desk and having them announced to the world that her (legally) adult sister was required to be picked up by her "very worried" sister. Tina was quite aware of the typical "lost child" announcement, seeing as her overprotective mother would often scream it into the microphone herself whenever she lose sight of her three children for more than a mere two minutes. And now Tina would be doing the same thing it seemed.

But, before she could head towards the help desk, Tina heard someone calling her name.

"Tina! Tina! Over here!"

She looked around, barely able to see over the shoulders of those around her, and couldn't see the caller. Figuring that the person was calling for a different Tina, she began to move away once more. But the yelling persisted.

"Tina! No, Tina, this way! Tina Belcher!"

Okay, it was definitely for her. She looked back once more, and caught tufts of light brown hair peeking over heads - presumably, it belonged to whoever was calling her. Pushing past the compact crowd, Tina made her way towards the caller, and was already beginning to suspect, though never fully accepting, who the person could be. The familiar voice. The tall height. The lisp - which was now so slight that it would've gone unnoticed had Tina not spent so many years being entranced in every last word that the speaker ever said. Yes. Yes, as Tina finally found a clearing where the unknown person resided, it was revealed that her caller was, indeed, Jimmy Pesto Jr.

Honestly, if he hadn't called for her, then maybe she wouldn't have even noticed him. Jimmy had definitely grown since their last meeting - despite being, technically, an adult during that time. He had managed to surpass his already rather tall height by growing some more inches, causing his shoulders to broaden and his chin to strengthen. Good Lord, there was even stubble growing on that defined jaw. Except for his wonderfully untrimmed hair, which wasn't slicked back with oil like his old man's, Jimmy Jr. had grown to be as handsome as his father. Now, was he just as arrogant?

"Tina! When I saw you leaving the theater, I almost couldn't believe it was you! I thought you would still be in school right now." He said, warmly. So warmly, it was almost surprising that it had come from Jimmy Pesto Jr, the boy who had spent most of his teen years commenting on Tina's weirdness - something that Tina would come to terms with once she started dating fellow males who weren't quite as creeped out by her "affectionate" nature.

For a brief moment, only a low groan escaped the Belcher - who suddenly became self conscious when she realized how she looked at the moment. While Jimmy was a chiseled God, Tina was...well, Tina. Wearing an oversized hoodie that almost hid her skirt, her hair was unbrushed and her complexion studded with the occasional spot of acne. While she wasn't as disproportioned as she was as a teenager, she certainly wasn't as trim as Jimmy appeared to be - her layer of slight chubbiness being attained to warm her throughout Chicago's blistering cold winters. Or so she told herself.

"I'm well." She finally croaked, an awkward stillness filling the air due to her short response. "You've...handsomed."

"Uh...thank you? That's what comes with the growing. You look great, too. Glad to see you kept your short hair."

This comment earned mild surprise from Tina, who had always felt some slight self conscience over the shortness of her hair - seeing as Jimmy Jr. seemed to always be attracted to those with mildly longer locks. If it wasn't for her mother's persistence that she keep the do - saying she looked like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction - Tina would've surely let her hair grow. And now, Jimmy was saying that he actually liked how she looked just as she was. Maybe Tina was looking too much into it, but Jimmy Jr. appeared to be almost...bashful? He was never the most particularly welcoming person, even as a boy, but he wasn't radiating the old vibe of disdain that Tina had so often felt. Instead, due to his averted eyes, tense shoulders, and nervous shuffling of his feet, he appeared to be acting coy.

"Well, I don't think I could've really cared for it while going to college."

"What? Like it's a pet or something?"

"Oh, I wish." Tina said, lifting a clump of locks and stroking it. "I could name him Hairold and tell him all my secrets."

"Why would it be a 'he'?" He laughed, shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Because my 'other' hair is already female."

All friendly greetings took a an abrupt stop, and there was a moment of strangled silence. Based on Jimmy Jr.'s shocked expression, it slowly dawned on Tina that her joke, one that her family would've surely enjoyed, was a bit too crude for the censored, light hearted people - like Jimmy. She was about to sputter out a quick apology, before running to the restroom to hide her reddening face. But, shockingly, a snickering, wheezing laugh escaped the boy.

"Wow, you really haven't changed, Tina." He said, with utter reverence.

"Well, you've changed. A lot."

"Yeah. Thank God. I was real jerk as a kid."

"No. I mean, I didn't think so…" She wanted to murmur "at the time", but opted not to. Knowing (the old) Jimmy Jr., such a comment would only kill the friendly mood between the two.

"No. I really was. I've actually been wanting to, uh, for a while now, apologize about my…"

"Jimmy Jr., really there's no apology needed. I adored you as a kid!"

"Yeah. I never understood why."

Based on the boy's leaning against the wall, Tina realized that he intended to have a full conversation with her. For a moment, she questioned ending their talk right there, and saying that she had to find her sister. It wasn't that she didn't want to chat with the boy - especially if they were being honest about their past crushes and what not - but Tina really did have to find Louise. However, something nagged at the Belcher - preventing the goodbye clawing up her throat to actually be said. Internally, she gave up any attempts to resist catching up with an old friend, and, as a sign that she was fully willing to talk to Jimmy Jr., she leaned against the wall as well.

"Well, you danced. And, for some odd reason, that's always been a turn on of mine. Do you still dance?"

"Yeah, actually. I was an instructor for a little while. And, between you and me, I even worked as a male go-go dancer at this nightclub on Downer Ave. Which was actually a fun job - except for the soccer moms that would grop me…"

"Wow, a go-go dancer. That explains your physique." Tina said, immediately blushing a bit - realizing that what she had said was rather, well, brazzen. After dating a socially inept nerd, and being surrounded by his similar friends, Tina had lost all ability to differentiate between what was acceptable, and what was just plain weird to say. But again, Jimmy Jr., showing a well loved patience that Tina had never seen until now, only gave off a shocked, but mostly flattered, grin - even chuckling slightly.

"Well, I'm not the lanky little kid I was back then. Who happened to have a nice butt."

"Oh yes, you're butt. How could I ever forget. It was my northern star all through high school."

"And yet you never really did get to touch it, did you?"  
"Nope. Wow. Middle aged divorcees got to touch your butt before me."

"Honestly, everyone got to touch my butt before me. Even my dad."

"Uh, what…?"

"Wow, that came out wrong. I mean, it was this whole incident where my dad went to the same dance club, not knowing that I was working there, and was checking out the chicks. I was so skinny back then, he actually thought I was one too. And he reach out to say 'hello' and he...yeah. And that's how my dad found out I was a go-go dancer!"

"Wow, what he do then?"

"He would've punished me, but then he'd have to explain to Ollie and Andy why I was grounded, so…"

"Must've been some GSA going on there."

"Some what?"

"Oh, GSA? I took some psychology at school, so I learned about it. It's like this psychological thing where if you don't know that a person is your relative, you'll feel an unexplainable attraction to them. It connects to that whole thing where couples sometimes look like each other. I don't know, GSA is, like, all the rage in the fan fiction world."

"You did always love your fan fiction."

"Oh God, my fan fiction. No - even worse: my friend fiction."

"Hey, I liked that story you read back in 7th grade. I thought it was really, I dunno, good hearted"

"Really? I thought you were just saying that because you, well, pitied me."

"Pitied you? Ha!"

"What?" Tina said, genuinely unsure about Jimmy's reaction - as if the possibility of him even pitying her was just laughable.

"Tina, I never pitied you! Not once! I never even really looked down on you. I mean, I thought you were, well, weird, and kinda...socially awkward. And I was a dick and resisted your crush, but I never really looked down on you. I don't know. It's hard to explain."

"Well, try. Because now I'm just plain curious."

"I dunno, I kinda...resented you because of how much I envied you."

"How? You're father had a successful restaurant, you were popular, you had good grades…" This statement actually upset Tina a bit. Not for any obvious reasons though, but because Tina, due to her many trials with love, had learned that whenever you have a crush on someone, you never envy them. You envy those that talk to them, and date them, and kiss their cheeks. But you never envy them. You want what's best for them. At least, that's what Tina had always experienced.

"I mean, yeah. But you were so...self assured."

"Not really...I let Tammy dominate me, and I even took on a second identity as 'Dina'..."

"Well, those were just brief breaks. But that time when you saved Louise at the Caffrey Taffy Company, or when you were making graffiti with Jordan Cagan. And it was just in how you talked about yourself. You weren't being arrogant or narcissistic, but you could still give a realistic list of your perfections and flaws. You know exactly who you are, and I've always found that to be so respectabil. And I was so jealous of how close you were Louise and Gene. So was Zeek. Honestly, you were just close with all of your family. And I've never really seen that before...not even in my own family."

"Or you not close with your dad?"

"I mean, it's kinda obvious that he's a total asshole. So, yeah, no. Actually, we went through a real rough patch. Well, rougher than before. And, due to, um, recent events, we've made up. But it's never going to be as close as you and your parents."

"But what about Ollie and Andy? Aren't you close with them?"

"I'm not on bad terms with them, but we're definitely not close. Those two revolve around each other, and have no room for other people in their lives. Which, I guess, is partially my fault - seeing as I never really made any effort to befriend them. Or anyone for that matter. Not even Zeek. He kinda just forced himself into my life. Thank God. Or than I'd've been utterly alone all throughout middle school, and high school, and, well, life in general." He said, ending with a slight, nervous laugh - clearly done out of realization over how heavy the discussion had become. But Tina didn't care if he felt exposed. She was seeing a side that had, amazingly, been hidden for years now. One that was earnest and self deprecating, unafraid to be vulnerable. And Tina was determined to revel in a side, that she suspected, was rarely seen.

"How long have you felt like this?"

"Since you came into my life, I guess."

"Really? Because you just seemed to be so...so…"

"Cold?"

"Yeah."

"Well, when I say 'you came into my life', I don't mean when we first met. I mean when we actually formed, you know, a connection."

"So our first kiss?"

"No…"

"Darn."

"It happened at the Caffey Taffy Factory, I guess. When you showed this bravery and intelligence that I never really got to see before."

"Oh, wow. I wish I had known how much you liked strong woman. Maybe if I had, we would've actually become a thing…"

"Well, we did have some moments."

"Yeah. Like our first kiss."

"I was thinking more about that day we spent before you left for Chicago."

"Right! Wow, I was just thinking about that day just a few hours ago!"

"I think about it all the time."

"Maybe it was a premonition. A sign that I was going to meet you again."

"Maybe. I'm glad you did."

"I am too."

There was a brief moment of gazing between the two, one that sent Tina's heart racing. Was this the first time they had truly looked into the other's eyes? Had they not done so before? At least on their last day together, before Tina left for Chicago? Yes, they had definitely made eye contact before. But it really did seem that this was the first time they were really looking - so intensly though it was as if they were telepathically communicating, because Tina could see a strange, long story in his brown eyes. One of exhaustion, and defeat, and loss. It was so dramatic to say this, to act like she knew anything about the boy that she had left four years ago. Hell, even when they were kids, she didn't know much about him - not his difficult home life, or his arrogant father. And, yet, just now, in their brief conversation, she was seeing something that she had been meaning to find for years now.

However, their dreamy gazing was abruptly interrupted by the piercing, shrill call from an oh-so-familiar voice.

"Jimmy Jr!" Cried the slim, blonde woman. Wrestling out from between two broad shoulders, she appeared, huffing slightly, and carrying, what was noticeably, a small, towheaded toddler.

"Jocelyn!?" Tina cried, amazed that she and Jimmy, of all people, had actually kept contact.

"Oh - hey, uh, Tiffy." She said, absentmindedly and clearly preoccupied on other things. Turning her attention back to Jimmy, she continued. "Come on, the movie is about to start."

"Yeah, I'll meet up with you guys in there-"

"-Daddy, can I sit in your lap?" The small boy squeaked, pearing at Jimmy with large, innocent eyes - ones that were, unmistakably, similar to the Pesto's. Both adults noticed the immediate tensing of Tina's spine - as if she had been electrocuted, which, honestly, it felt like that's what had just happened.

Daddy. That child just called Jimmy his daddy. Could it really be that Jimmy, the boy that had said he loved her, who was gazing at her right now, had actually knocked up Jocelyn?! And based on the child's age, approximately three years old, the, er, conception had occurred just a year after Tina left. Granted, their parting was a sign that both were allowed to move on and find other people, so maybe it was a tad silly for Tina to have this feelings of...of….jealousy - especially when she had a boyfriend - no, a fiance - of her own. But there was just something so infuriating that Jimmy Jr. - her Jimmy Jr. - had actually slept with Jocelyn: a person that you certainly didn't date for less than superficial reasons, seeing as the longest conversation she had ever held was about Paris Hilton's sex tape.

Tina could hear her own heart racing, pounding - ready to burst from her rib cage. Honestly, she was so shocked that she couldn't even speak, or scream, or just flip the bird at Jimmy amd run off. All she could do was just stare, wide eyed and panicked, at the small child, whose own gaze was fixated on his father - completely oblivious to the brewing storm going on the dark haired lady's head.

But, thank the heavens, everyone's attention was gripped by the wails of, none other than, Louise Belcher.

"Tina? Tina!? Where the hell have you been!? I've been looking all over for you!" Screamed the girl, whose red rimmed eyes and wavering voice being instantly noticed by her older sister.

"Well, I was looking for you!" She responded, internally amazed that she was even capable of forming full sentences right now, seeing as how many knots were forming in her stomach.

"Ugh, come on! I need to talk to you!"

As the Louise dragged Tina away, the older Belcher breathed a heavy sigh of relief. If it wasn't for her sister's persistent pulling, she'd probably never have managed to regain the lost feeling in her legs - seeing as that gut wrenching shock had sent her into a state of utter numbness.


	14. Chapter 14

" _Jimmy has a child!"_ Louise yelled, embodying the cocktail of anger, shock, and upset brewing within her sister's ribs with just the shrillness of her voice.

"You didn't know?" Tina said, momentarily ripping her eyes away from the busy street they drove down - prompting her to almost hit a bicyclist, who, in response, mumbled a slew of curses against the Belcher girls.

"Of course not! I would've told you if I had."

"But Jimmy Jr. literally lives right across from you guys. How did you not know?"

"I dunno. I guess the baby doesn't live with him. Which means…"

"That the love of my life is the father of someone else's child!?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Tina, seriously? 'Love of my life'? What happened to Henry?"

"Sorry, I just got a bit...carried away." She murmured, feeling a redness rising in her cheeks. As practical as Louise was being, it was always humiliating whenever she called Tina out on her melodramatic responses. Also, even Tina wasn't really sure where that little outburst came from. She and Jimmy Jr. had just talked for only fifteen minutes. He was certainly not the love of her life. Not yet, anyway.

"Well, what I was going to say was that Jimmy Jr. is probably single, seeing as the kid and _his mother_ don't even live with him."

"It's not like it matters, Louise." Her sister spat, pulling the car up to the restaurant. They could already see Logan standing at the counter, wiping away stains and quietly singing along with Linda, who threw plates into a tub while belting out "Defying Gravity". Tina noticed Louise's lingering stare on the blonde, one of mixed affection and anxiety, before the girl turned back to her sister.

"Why's that?" She asked.

"I'm, technically, engaged. Even if he's not dating someone, I am. And I'm many things. A seductive, independent, humble woman? Yes. A heart breaker? No."

"Uh, yeah, but you're just a fiance. Not married and buried."

"I'm engaged and enslaved."

"Wow. That's so not how marriage works. I mean, in the 1800's maybe…"

"Ugh, Louise! What else am I supposed to do?" Tina huffed, throwing her head against the seat's head rest and squeezing her eyes shut, as if trying to prevent any more stressful thoughts from seeping into her mind.

"Break up with him. It's literally so simple."

"And leave him for another man?"

"Yeah. Mom did that to Hugo. You could too. Hey, maybe being a runaway bride is a genetic thing!"

There was a moment of silence between the two, and Louise could see her sister's tight expression relax, all emotion draining from her face. Abruptly, though, Tina's eyes fluttered open, showing signs of a revelation, before she, slyly side eyeing the girl beside her, said, "You wanna know who else did that?"

"Drew Barrymore in 'The Wedding Singer'?"

"Well, yes. But, also, Jessica."

An instantaneous flash of anger filled Louise, completely absorbing her in a feeling of betrayal that originated from her sister's single comment. But as quickly as it came, it trailed off, only leaving the after effects of a seething, muted fuming.

"What!? Oh wow, just - just _shut up_. Ok, Tina? Just shut up!"

"I'm just saying, you're telling me to leave another man when you just got left yourself."

"Okay, no. My situation is completely different from your's and mom's, alright!? Mom never cheated on Hugo, and you haven't cheated on Henry. And there was problems in your guys's relationships long before the 'other man' came into the picture. With me, Rudy _cheated_ on me. Full on. He fucking slept with my best friend while we were dating! He could've left me before things got too complicated, but he just opted to hold onto the both of us. So don't even _think_ of trying to compare these two situations, or so help me I will _gut punch_ you."

A natural reflex, Tina's hands zoomed to cover her stomach, already fearing the hard blow that one of her sister's infamous punches could drive into that sensitive area. Still, with a rarely seen bravery, Tina continued.

"Louise, don't do that whole victimizing bullshit!"

"Excuse me! Mrs. One-time-acted-like-a-damsel-in-distress-to-win-Jimmy-Jr.-over is telling me to stop _whining_!?"

"Yeah, Louise. I am. I'm giving you some tough love. You've been broken up with Rudy for months now, and it seems like you're just using it as an excuse to not date anyone. And, no, not because you're still heartbroken! I think it's because you just hate the fact that you're not getting everything you want, so you're just too afraid to see another person not follow your exact commands!

"How would you know!? You've been at college this entire time!? Going vegan and snogging Henry-"  
"-Oh, shut up! Louise, it's so obvious. Hell, it's so obvious, even you know it! It's why you're doing this whole stupid v-card thing with Hunter!"

"I'm doing it because I always repay my debts-"

"-You're doing it to punish yourself. Because you feel bad that you controlled Rudy, because, deep down, you think that that's what drove him to Jessica. And no one knows this better than me, but trying to be the self loathing victim whose heart was broken only results in you replaying that role over and over and over. You know what the old Louise would've done? She would've tried to make Rudy jealous. She would've gone out and gotten a new man, or become a billionaire, or become super hot - I don't know. But she wouldn't've done this whole thing of avoiding love and bending over backwards for weird ass creeps. So stop viewing yourself as a scorned lover, okay? And start seeing yourself as the bitch who got rid of some dead weight!"

All Tina could see was Louise's turned away face, which did not dare to look her sister in the eye - for fear that the anxiety and stress whirling around in her head would become apparent to Tina.

Her sister had just given a pep talk. A good pep talk. A _really_ _good_ pep talk. Louise knew that. And, yet, all it seemed to do was cause the dark haired girl to descend into a fit of utter self loathing. _I've become so emotional and pathetic! I was so strong and independent as a child, what went wrong? Why did I let myself go? Am I really doomed to have my heartbroken again? Do I really need to stop feeling sorry for myself? But if I do that, won't I go back to being the controlling girl I was before? And isn't that what chased Rudy away?_ Louise couldn't handle this. Not anymore. She was twitching, forming knots in her gut. The last time she was this skittish was when she became territorial over a piece of ambergris, and now she was doing it again over a freaking boy - or _boys_ for that matter. But, whatever was causing this constant stress, it had to stop. Louise had to shut down. She had to just. .

"Come on, Tina." The youngest Belcher child murmured, numbly, as she opened the car door. "Let's go home."

With concerned eyes, Tina watched as her sister defly slumped into the restaurant, not even responding to her mother's cheerful greeting. Had she gone too far?

Louise, hoping to distract herself from the ongoing cluster of dilemmas, flipped on the computer, planning on watching cat videos until she was meowing herself. But, trouble being around every corner, Louise found the oh-so-ominous email from Hunter.

 _Hey, Bunny. I'm back from Florida. Meet me at Zeek's house party tonight._

 _;)_

"Hey, Tina, what's up with Louise?" Logan whispered as soon as Linda went upstairs, entranced by the ringing of the landline.

"Oh, uh, the talk didn't exactly go well."

"Oh, she caught you?"

"Yeah. And she knows that you sent me."

"Aw, Tina! Why!?"

"Sorry."

"Whhhhhy!?" He groaned, throwing his head back, and already fearing the imposing awkwardness this would cause.

"Look, the best thing to do with Louise is to just be blunt. Or so I thought…."

Logan lifted back up, having picked up on the last part of that sentence. With a quizzical expression, he asked "Wow. Is everything alright?"

"Definitely not."

"Well, sit down, sonny. Tell ol' Loggy about yer' troubles." He said, faking a horrible southern accent as he wiped the inside of a glass, just like Moe in the Simpsons. After a slight chuckle at his impression, and then a long, heavy sigh, she said "I gave Louise the harsh truth."

Immediately, Logan dropped the class, which didn't plummet as much as his heart after hearing Tina say that. "Oh...oh no." He murmured.

"Yeah. Oh no."

"What'd you say?"

"I told her to stop playing the victim, because it was only holding her back from recovery." This caused Logan to wince, but he nodded slightly, agreeing that there was some truth in that statement. "And that this whole v-card thing with Hunter is just punishment towards herself.

"Uh, what?"

"I know, I know. Kinda far fetched. But Louise thinks Rudy left her because of how, you know, immoral she can be. Making people do all the dirty work and never actually facing karma for her actions. So she's doing everything she can now to be a good person. Which is stupid, because Louise really never has done anything wrong. If anything, she sort of _is_ karma - giving immoral people what they deserve. Does karma ever deal with karma? No, no. I don't think so."

"That actually sounds really nice, Tina. But did you say any of that to Louise?"

"Some of it, yes. But that good stuff, like about her not being immoral, no...no, I did not."

"Then tell her now. All I see is Louise hating herself right now. Like this whole thing of not dating me. Why would you reject a good relationship? Because you don't think you're good enough for one. Which I know seems kinda arrogant of me to say, seeing as I might not be the best person for Louise. But, yeah, I see what you're saying. It just seems she's kinda...avoiding everything."

"Taking a break from life. But life never takes a break for you, and now everything is just piling up."

"Yeah. Wow. She must've really loved this guy."

"I don't think so."

"What?"  
"I mean, she definitely had strong feelings for him. But I don't think this whole bad response is just centered around Rudy. I think the break up has just launched this chain reaction of Louise doubting herself and no longer knowing who she is or whatever. I mean, she's never experienced heartbreak, so she's never even seen this side of herself. So, you know, she's still finding out who she is."

"You really know a lot about this stuff, Tina."

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I've never actually experienced heartbreak myself."

"Than how do you know?"

"From my dad."

"Bob?"

"Yeah. When I left for school, do you remember how...childish he became."

"Oh, yeah. Yeesh. That was a dark time in the Belcher household." He said, vacantly staring out as he thought about Bob's numb, cold demeanor during that time. He didn't even look at Tina. He didn't even say he loved her. Not till the very end. It was the cruelest thing he had ever seen the man done, and it had caused a sort of scar to fall on the entire family. It may have even scared the fearless Gene and Louise, who had never even seen their father's "eternal" love pause for a single second except for that moment there. And though no one even thought about that horrible month anymore, there was still this lingering fear amongst the Belcher kids. Bob's love was not something to be fucked with.

"Well, I remember, one time during this visit for Christmas on my first year away, I was still mad at him. Even though we had had that nice parting, there was still all this built up revenge and hate. And it caused me to not even be able to look at him. But then Dad took me out to get eggnog and he said sorry. Like, he really apologized. And it was the most vulnerable I had ever seen him. Like, my dad, as clumsy as he can be, as always kinda been...mysterious, I guess. You don't really know what's going on in his head all the time. Or what he's seen. Or what triggers him. Or what he's still resentful towards. But, in the car, he talked about his mom left his dad to go to university, and she never came back. That's why he was so mad. Honestly, that was the most I've ever heard my dad talk about his childhood. Or his mom. Heck, that's the _only_ time he's talked about her. And he said how he was usually good about containing all of those issues from childhood, but this was the first time we had ever really reminded him of his mom, so it wasn't something he was used to. And the anger he felt ended up being so...uncontainable, that even he was surprised by it. I guess that's how love is. It makes you feel things you've never felt before. And it's not just good, happy, fuzzy feelings. But ones of anger, and betrayal, and jealousy. And I guess it makes you realize who you are."

Tina, realizing that she was rambling now, stopped, looking up to see Logan's shocked expression. She had just spilled so much that her tongue was dry, and she was left slightly breathless.

And what did Logan have to say to possibly one of the most deepest, insightful things he had ever heard exit Tina Belcher's mouth?

"Damn girl."

The pleasant moment between Tina and Logan was abruptly shattered by the long, piercing wail of Linda Belcher.

"Louise Louise Belcher! Get in the kitchen right now!"

"Uh oh." Logan and Tina said in unision. Linda's call was so loud and terrifying, that it caused, not only Tina and Logan to fear for Louise, but the house itself seemed to shudder for the youngest Belcher, already knowing the doom that awaited her.

Creeping up the stairs and into the kitchen, they found Gene already waiting just outside the kitchen, having beat Logan and Tina to the perfect spot for eavesdropping on conversations. They sat down beside the boy, silently watching as Louise, an unmistakable look of fear in her, usually courageous, eyes as she peered up at her fuming mother. Bob sat near the two, looking far more confused than angry.

"I just got a very interesting call from my friend, Denise Winchester. Very. Interesting."

Louise's gut churned when she realized that the name sounded very familiar - which is never a good sign.

"According to her" Her mother continued, removing her hand from her hip, briefly, so as to push her glasses up. "You had an _IUD_ put in!"

Oh God. _That's_ who she was. The wiry, stiletto wearing doctor who had done that whole gruesome procedure on Louise. Of all the people to be friends with her mother, it had to be the woman at the abortion clinic!? There should be a law saying that gynecologists and moms couldn't be friends. Wait, no. That doesn't make sense.

"Look, I'm proud that you're being responsible. But I'm not proud that you didn't tell me, and that you're sleeping with the one person we told you to keep your hands off!"

"Wait - what?"

"Don't act all innocent, miss missy. You obviously got this procedure done for Logan."

From the living room, the family heard Gene, muffled by the walls, yell "What!?", the sound of a slap, and Logan's cry of pain.

"What? No, I didn't get this procedure _for_ Logan." Louise quickly blurted out, far too panicked about her mother's assumptions to even be embarrassed by the fact that now everyone in the house knew about her little trip to Planned Parenthood.

"Oh really? So you got it for you **ex** -boyfriend, Rudy?"

"No…"

"Than why?"

"I…." Well, there was no way in hell that Louise was saying the real reason. But what else could she say? That she was just being responsible? Like her mother, the woman who had to remind Louise every three hours to visit the toilet, would ever believe that. "Look, I'm eighteen now. It's none of your business."

"But you're still living under my roof, and you're still working for your father and I. And we have a strict no office romance!"  
"Mom, you have to believe me. I'm not sleeping with Logan."

"Oh really?" She whispered, sending chills down Louise's spine. As harmless as Linda always seemed to be to Louise, the young Belcher was well aware of how intimidating and cunning her mother could be. And such lethal traits always appeared whenever her mother started to whisper mid-argument. "Then why weren't you in your bed on April 19th"

"Uh, April 19th"

"Yes. Is the date important to you?"

Of course the date was important. As mushy as it sounded, Louise had burned the day in her mind as that was when she had lost it to Logan. Oh God. _Logan._ He was going to get fired, or kicked out of the basement, or _worse_. What had Louise done? Why couldn't she just resist him? Keep her hands off from the boy, just like her parents had ordered her to? Maybe if she had, not so many people would be in pain right now.

"I...uh…not exactly…."

"Because on that day, I entered your room, as I do every night, to retrieve your various plates and cups-"

"-You come into my room when I'm asleep?"

"How else am I supposed to get in there? You more protective of that place than Smeagle is of the ring."

"Ha! Nerd jokes! Good one, Mom!" Gene's muffled cry yelled through the wall.

"Thank you, honey! Anyway, I came in there to find your bed was empty. And when I went downstairs to wash the plates…"

"Oh no."

"What do I hear? Santeria coming from Logan's bedroom! And I know a virginity song when I hear one!"

A strangeling silence filled the room, squeezing all air from Louise's lungs as she felt herself shrinking and shrinking beneath her mother's steely gaze. She had to life defining options right now. One, she could continue to deny the truth,despite Linda most definitely finding better evidence to prove "Louigan" exists, so she'd really only be digging herself into a deeper hole. Or, she could beg for mercy, maybe winning her mother's sympathy, but also giving away the truth.

Louise, for the first time in, well, ever, chose to beg.

"Please, please, please, please, Mom. You can do whatever the hell you want to me. Just don't fire Logan."

"A-ha! I knew it! I told you Bob! I knew they were canoodling! I just knew it!" She wailed, hopping around like a triumphant toddler, before whipping around to glare down upon her cowering daughter with a stare of merciless conquest. "And you bet your ass I'm going to do something to you, you lil' lying sneak! Fibbing to your own mother's face! The nerve!"

"Anything. Anything. Just...don't hurt Logan." Louise murmured, defeated. The crack in her voice, one that only emphasized the searing pain of her voice, caused something to catch with Logan, who was pressing into the wall, as if trying to break through it and wrap himself around the bunny ear wearing girl.

"You're grounded for five-"

"No." Bob curtly interjected, completely ruining Linda's theatrical condemning

"Four….?"

"Try again."

"Fine. Three?"

"Well…"

Two and a half!?"

"...okay."

"Louise Belcher!" She cried, whipping around again, her voice returning to it's dramatic, damning nature as before. "I sentence you to two and a half weeks of being grounded! No TV! No computer! And, certainly, no Logan! You will work, and work some more! Is that clear!?"

"Crystal." Louise responded, sounding rather casual honestly. "So is this whole grounding thing going to be starting tomorrow or two days from now or…"

"It's starting _**now**_ , miss missy!

"Oh. Well, I have a scheduling conflict so…"

"I don't care if you're meeting with the Queen of England! You're grounded now! Right. Now."

"Mom, please. You don't understand. I have to go to this party and…." The familiar begging from before entered Louise's voice, and her hands clasped together, as if in prayer.

"Not another word!" Linda declared, pointing towards Louise's room.

Defeated, and without any other options, Louise slumped off to her sentencing. Knowing exactly what devious act she was going to have to do next.

As she walked off, she could feel Logan's stare, one that was probably sopping wet with concern and sympathy, following her downtrodden figure. But the Belcher, knowing what she was going to have to be doing with, ugh, Hunter in a few hours, couldn't even look at the boy - for fear that she would run into his inviting arms, and never, ever leave them again.


	15. Chapter 15

In times of trouble and absolute disaster, Logan, for comfort, found himself looking back on sweeter, past memories, which, coincidentally, were often about Louise. Such as today, after being discovered to have slept with his manager's daughter and was in wait for his undoubtable termination, he thought about his 24th Christmas: a day that was special, not only because it was a holiday, but because of the people the people he spent it with. Well, more specifically, Louise.

It was the rare occasion where she took off her hat, something that Louise did far more often than when she was a child - a time where she would even enter the bathtub wearing that ratty, faded, old cap. But, even at twelve, the top of her dark haired head was a rare sight that was highly cherished. So cherished, that Linda was determined to take a sea of Polaroids - meaning that now _everyone_ had to cram themselves into tight suits and velvet dresses that were a size too small. Both Linda and Tina, waddling out of the bedroom in dark dresses, looked, well, not so great. Logan didn't consider either of them to be particularly unattractive, but shuffling about in a suffocating gown made them look like emo caterpillars or whatever. But Louise, smallest of the small, just _bloomed_ in that dress.

She modestly shuffled out of the bedroom, not even intending to make such a dramatic appearance that made everyone stop in their tracks. She just did. And, as she leafed through some discarded gift catalogue left on the coffee table, she began to notice the deafening silence that surrounded her. She looked up to be immediately met with Logan's undeterred stare, one that he maybe should've been ashamed of - but she, beneath the golden glare of twinkling Christmas lights that caused roses to bloom in her complection, really did look too radiant to be unnoticed. But she flinched, showing the well hidden self consciousness that lingered quietly within her.

"What're you looking at, Barry Bush?"

"You." He croaked, hoarsely.

And, for a brief moment, Logan saw a returned affection in her own eyes - which shouldn't have been so surprising, seeing as he was in a well tailored suit with his hair for once actually combed. But when he saw it, that blushing burst of mesmerization emit from her eyes - it was so sacred, so sweet - he couldn't believe it was real.

And now, six years later, stooped over a mop and with a pain in his chest, he looked back on that memory with a feeling of both cherishment and, well, regret. Regret over not just kissing her right then and there. Because maybe if he had, he'd have been fired a long time ago - before he became so god damn attached to this weird ass Belcher family.

"You look kinda glum there, kiddo." Bob said, breaking through the somber layer of pondering that coated Logan.

"I mean, I'm going to be fired…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! 'Fired'?"

"Yeah, for…." His throat caught before he could finish his sentence, his own voice trembling at the confession. Though everyone was aware of the truth, actually being open about it was all the more painful. "...sleeping with your daughter."

Bob winced, plopping down at a booth. But after shaking away the revulsion, he continued.

"I mean, I wished you hadn't. And that's not a personal preference. It's just no father actually wants their child to...have sex…"

"No. Yeah, I get it. And I'm...I'm sorry." He said, sitting down across the older man.

"No, it's fine. I mean, if I _had_ to have someone do it with my kid, than it would be you. Or Bill Gates. When he was young and mildly cute. Because he has so much money. Or maybe Tom Seagle. Or Keanu Reeves…"

"Bob. Focus."

"Sorry. But the point is, you're not fired."

"But what about Louise?"

"What about her?"

"We both know she has feelings for me. And I...I don't know if this is obvious, but I've got feelings for her."

"Oh. That. No that's horribly obvious."

"What? If it is, then why didn't you ever say anything? Like when I caught Louise naked?"

"I dunno. I mean, if I did point it out - like when you stare at Louise for a bit too long, or how your would leave the room whenever Rudy came in, or how I...found her sweater...in your bed-"

"-oh god."

"But even if I did point it out, what then?"

"Fire me!"

"Logan, why do you think everyone is going to fire you?"

"Because I'm not...actually family…"

"You're kidding, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Of course you're family! You've been with us, for what, six years now? Living in our basement, playing with our kids, helping us run the restaurant. The only thing that could make you more of a family member is by adopting you!"

This was heart warming. Absolutely, and completely, heart warming. A wave of strange satisfaction and comfort filled Logan, reminding him of the safety that comes with belonging. He couldn't remember the last time he had had this feeling. Not when his mother spent Christmas hugging down a flask, or when his father forgot his ninth birthday for a game of golf. Maybe this was the first, real time that Logan had felt...home.

"In all honesty…" Bob said. "The main reason why I didn't want you two to date is because I view your both as, you know…"

"Sons?"

"Well, Louise is a girl. But, yeah. Basically. And when your kids start relationships, you lose them. They go off and start their own families, and never call their dads. Just like I did with my own old man. It's embarrassing for me to say this, particularly after complaining so many times about your guys's horrible work ethic and stuff. But I don't want to lose you."

"Bob, you'll never lose us." Logan murmured, his voice cracking slightly. "Not even when you're an old fart cooped up in a retirement home. I'll be sure to visit, and push your wheelchair down hills."

"I'll hold you to it, Logan." The elderly man said, causing a finishing, satisfied tone to fill the air. One that signified that (most) of Logan's problems were gone. He had a family. A support system. Someone to call during Christmas and bad breakups. Though this was already set, having it be officially said made it just so much better. "So what are you doing here? Go get Louise!"

"Oh, Bob. Wow...that's really cheesy."

"It is. I know. But it's also really, really right. I know she's been hurting ever since Rudy, and she's just been full of all this self doubt. And, yeah, only she can better herself. But having someone loving you along the way makes recovery so much easier, especially when that love is...from someone as devoted as you."

Bob didn't have to say anything else. Logan, with one last tender look, one that wept gratitude and emotion, swept off towards upstairs. Ignoring Linda's confusion over his fast pace, Logan barged into Louise's room. But, as if missing a step on a staircase, the shock of the rooms vacantness hit him like bullet.

"Where's Louise?!" He called out, to no one in particular.

"That little sneak!" Linda yelled, poking her head in the door frame to find an empty bedroom. "How'd she escape from a windowless room?"

"Uh, I know how…" Gene squeaked, exiting the bathroom while tugging up his pants.

"How?"

"By going into Tina's room and using her cool rope ladder thing."

"Tina!"

"Dammit, Gene. Why!?" Tina yelled, appearing from her own bedroom.

"Wait, wait, wait - did she say where she was going."

"Uh, no. Why?"

"It's just...she had the whole thing with Hunter…"

"Hunter? Who's Hunter?" Linda questioned. "Is she sleeping with him too!?"

Tina and Logan gave each other nervous glances, both fearful of the unavoidable truth.

"Not if we can stop it." Logan said, before he and the oldest Belcher child ran out of the apartment, leaving Linda more confused than ever.


	16. Chapter 16

A flood of sweat soaked and odorous teens overflowed from Zeek's tired, crooked trailer - which seemed to sag from the weight of so many lanky, brooding, acne covered bodies. The mere sight of the decrepit home, which seemed to break through the night's swallowing darkness by its blinding glow, caused shivers to run up Louise's spine as she neared. She was going to have sex tonight. She was going to be crushed beneath some sweaty, rancid scented redneck on a springy mattress. And even worse, such horrid events would occur in a home just as, ugh, seedy.

Some pimple studded dweeb answered the door, flinching slightly at Louise's appearance. She wasn't sure if such a reaction was caused by her intense, volatile glare, or his surprise that the infamous Louise Belcher actually came to "pay up". Either way, he wordlessly stepped aside to let her pass in, not daring to say a word to the girl. Stepping onto stale carpeting, she felt the vibrating thumps of screeching country music or whatever, that bashed around in Louise's skull. But the sound that rises above all imposing music, and is far more searing in its loudness, is that off Tammy Larsen's ear rupturing screech. Matching in passion, but less whiny, is her boyfriend's, Zeek, own retort, which can also be heard over the pounding music. Too fearful to near the kitchen, where such intense arguing between always quarreling lovers emanated from, Louise turned left - right into the sweaty grasp of none other than Hunter.

"Lou- **burp-** ise! You've got - got no idea how long I've been waiting for this night." He slurred, clearly drunk, as his beer drowned breath alluded to.

"Hunter." She growled, pushing his pudgy figure away. "You've...tanned."

"Been under the sun for a long time, babe. Now you-you get to be under _me_."

"Smooth." She mumbled, sounding fittingly deadpan. But Hunter, far too deep in a stupor, ignored her comment, and dragged her into a nearby bedroom. Louise noticed the trailing of three other boys, who, thankfully, didn't follow the two through the entrance. But based on the shadows visible at the door's gap, they were either guarding or, ew, listening.

Turning her focus away from the door, Louise stumbled back when she found Hunter already peeling off his sweat soaked t-shirt and cargo shorts, rolls of fat considerably paler than his flabby arms due to a bad farmer's tan. Louise's stomach began to turn slightly, and she could feel her knees going weak. Rather than produce some ingenious plan, or some sort of distraction for Hunter, the only thing going through Louise's head was "I wish I was with Logan right now". But, pushing through these thoughts and the drowning fear that swallowed her whole, Louise commanded herself to do the most simplest of acts, unable to even breath manually now.

"Take off your shirt, Louise." She thought to herself, doing just as she had just said. "Now your jeans." which then fell to her ankles. She opted not to take off her mismatched, boldly patterned underwear, not bearing the thought of Hunter actually getting to see such delicate areas. She only slipped under the unwashed, stain studded covers of a cheap murphy bed, which felt foreign to her exposed skin. This setting was far less comfortable than the one Logan had given her. While she had felt nervous, maybe even self conscious, back then, she wasn't unwilling. She was excited. Eager. And now, she just felt sickly, and all of her physical flaws, ones that she cared little about before, became searingly apparent. Her wobbly thighs, with translucent lines branching out across them. Her gut, which protruded ever so slightly over the waistband of her lime green panties. Her not so stupendous cup size. It wasn't that she wanted to appease someone as loathsome and piggish as Hunter, but she certainly didn't want him to vapidly comment on her non-waifish appearance. Being insulted by someone like him is the equivalent of a hippopotamus telling you to lose some weight.

After wrestling off his briefs, Hunter fell into the bed - wheezing from his fight with such clothes, and his odor only becoming more pungent. If he weren't in such a drunken stupor, he might have even seen Louise's grimace. But it wasn't her disgusted expression that caused him to pause in his antics.

"Wait, after being in Florida for so long...you haven't lost it already, have you?" He asked.

"Why would it matter?"

"Just askin'."

"No. I haven't. Now, can we please get this over with?"

Louise wasn't sure why she lied. It just felt like the right thing to do.

Logan sped down the road, hand gripping on the wheel so tightly that his knuckles went white. So focused on his quick driving, he was oblivious to the tension filled silence that drowned the car - one that made Tina rather uncomfortable. She might've tried to form awkward, stiff conversation, if she weren't so focused on not flying out of her seat every single time Logan wildly turned a corner. And then, with a painful screech, Tina found herself to be parked before Zeek's horrid trailer, Logan storming towards the home, so angry that a trail of smoke seemed to emanate from him. Tina rushed out of the car, prepared to scuttle after the blonde, but froze in her tracks when an oh-so-familiar voice called after her. The intruding sound shocked her so badly, that she hunched her shoulders, which stayed so tightly squeezed even after she spun on the ball of her heel to face her caller.

"Hello, Jimmy Jr." She hissed, not doing a good job of hiding her discontent.

"Tina, what are you doing here? I thought you didn't like Zeek."

"Well, I don't...not really. But I'm here to get Louise. It's this whole big thing…"

"Maybe you could tell me over dinner? I was just heading out, but now that you're here-"

"I don't think that's a good idea." She said, curtly. So curtly, it seemed to stab whatever pleasantry that was between the two, and a stiff silence bled out from the wound.

"Tina, what's wrong?"

She really did have to go. Now was no time for chit-chat, or confrontations, or confessions. In fact, now was the absolute worst time for anything like that. And yet, against all odds, the urge to blurt out everything, to make sure that he understood all humiliation and misconception his friendliness had caused be known.

"I know you have a kid, Jimmy Jr."

"So?" He said, looking actually rather confused by Tina's simple response. Tina had expected maybe embarrassment or something, as if he had never intended for her to find out such information.

"You're a dad, and you're married to Jocelyn! And you were so...friendly and-and _flirty_. I mean, I don't know what you were thinking - flirting with me when you're wife and kid were literally right there with you-"

"Tina, I'm not married."

"What? But is...is Jocelyn not the mom of your kid…? - Oh my god! Is this that weird thing where you were babysitting Jocelyn's kid and she developed some weird attachment for you!?"

"No. Sammy is _definitely_ my kid." He chuckled to himself, as if it were some sort of inside joke. But, noticing Tina's burrowing gaze, he snapped back to reality - clearing his throat and shuffling his feet before continuing. "And Jocelyn is the mom. But we're not a couple or anything, we just, you know, raise him together. Look, it's a very, very long story and...Tina, please...I want to - I _need_ to explain it to you."

"Why? Why do you _need_ to explain it to me? So you can ensnare me? Make me into some pathetic stepmom who'll take care of your kid and take him off your hands?"

"Tina, what the hell? God, no! I love Sammy. I love him more than you'll ever no! And if you really, truly think that I'm that horrible of a father, than you can go _fuck yourself_. The Tina that I want to eat dinner with would never be so quick to judge!"

Whoa. What just happened? One second, Jimmy Jr. was a shlumped over figure, looking so vulnerable and soft with a sympathetic stare beneath the soft glare of streetlights. Now, he was intimidating and defensive, shadows cast across his face so perfectly that they masked his once tenderhearted eyes and putting all focus on his hateful scowl. And this new, enraged Jimmy Jr, one that was so genuinely offended at the thought of being an immoral person, only intrigued Tina. She recalled how one time, during a chaotic practice session for a frivolous magic show, she had become exasperated with the boy and his foolishness. But when she yelled at him, insulted him, told him to get his act together - it did absolutely nothing to him. Her anger, and opinion, and feelings towards him were completely unimportant to him. _She_ was unimportant to him. But now, here he was, absolutely betrayed by her overcritical and impulsive insults.

"Jimmy Jr, wait." She called out, finding the ability right after he spun around on the ball of his heel - preparing to leave. Her voice, piercing through the deafening silence, caused him to freeze in his tracks. "I'm sorry. I was just… - surprised. Please, let's just go to dinner. I also _need_ an explanation."

Turning around, his familiar, soothing expression - one of sappy sympathy, and similar to the one he presented so long ago on the night before Tina took off for college - was apparent. She felt her shoulders relax, and this blooming elation form in her gut.

"Come on then. I know this really good Chinese restaurant."

* * *

Logan towered over the sea of teens bouncing and shuffling about the stale, decrepit home. He turned behind him to realize that, yeesh, he had completely left Tina behind. But, glancing through a nearby window, he noticed Tina's short figure entering into Jimmy Jr.'s car. He would've chased after her, questioning why she would leave now - especially as they were saving her sister from the lowest of vermin. But he was far too focused on the only thing that matter right now to do that. He was far too focused on _Louise_.

Despite Logan's rushed pushing receiving several comments, such as "what the frick, man!?" and "chillax, bro", he desperately charged towards the only unopened door of the house - which he could only assume contained Hunter and Louise. But as he neared, four short, protective looking boys came into view. It didn't matter if their intention was to guard the door, as soon as Logan was twisting one boy's ear and kneeing the other in the gut, the two others scurried off into the lively crowd - far too fearful of Logan's wrath over Hunter's, who would surely be enraged when he found out his trusted guards had run off from the job.

Bursting into the room, Logan was immediately met with a strong whiff of pure B.O. - one that he knew not to be Louise's. Two lythe, light weights threw themselves onto Logan's towering frame - as if their dangling would have any effect on him. While struggling to shake them off, he looked towards the disaster before him: Sweaty and clearly drunk Hunter, on all fours, atop Louise. Though he was completely bare, Louise (thankfully) still had on panties, meaning that the deed had not been completed. With two, confidant strides, Logan pushed Hunter off the bed - who was far too incapacitated to really do anything, though he certainly tried - slurring out some insults and lazily shaking a fist. But Logan, swatting away Hunter's pathetic guards, then tore off his hoodie, laid it down on the dark haired girl before him, before swiftly carrying her out.

As he stormed out the pulsating house, he could feel Louise, arms wrapped around his neck as if he were a float and she were lost at sea, pressing her head into his chest, breathing out elated, weary sighs. Logan couldn't help but think, stepping out into the searing cold night, that it was as if he were carrying out Louise, his bride, from a church, on their blissful wedding day.


	17. Chapter 17 (sort of NSFW?)

Louise didn't have time to realize what was happening - that Logan had just saved her in possibly the most attractive way possible - before she was practically stuffed into the car's backseat. High pitched shrieks of protest left her mouth, as she fully expected Logan - who brutishly ignored her complaints, by the way - to buckle in Louise's seat belt, close her door, then drive her to her parents, before telling them everything. Because, at that moment, there was just something far too demanding in Logan's actions that caused him to appear almost...fatherly.

Of course, all of Louise's complaints were quickly quieted when the blonde, rather than trapping her away in the back as she had previously assumed, instead closed the door behind him - locking it. And then there was just silence. Louise was pressed up in the corner, the hood slipping off - exposing a brightly colored bra and pale flesh to the cold night air, sending frigid prickles throughout her. But she was far too preoccupied on Logan, who only looked out at the dark street. His hand was still on the car lock, his shoulders tense, his breathing noticeably trying to be controlled, and his jaw was clamped tight - painfully so. She wanted to say something, break the silence. Possibly a quip of anger, snapping at him for his brutish intrusion. But who was Louise kidding? She loved that he had done that, claiming her from hands that she never, ever wanted to know the feeling of. But what was wrong now? Why was he looking away? Why couldn't he...look at her?

And then, as if he had read her mind, she felt the sweet, sharp ache of Logan's teeth clattering against hers. Hungrily, demandingly, wonderfully. The boy had her crushed between him and the car door, arms holding him above Louise, his heart pounding against hers through their rib cages. It was a painful kiss, one that left a soreness to ripple through Louise's bones. But it was quickly made up for in the soft, tender movement of his lips. And then his palms, gently so, clasped themselves to her jaw, pulling her deeper into the kiss. It was as if Logan were trying to melt into her, pushing his chest into hers, pressing their lips harder and harder against each others - and, god, did she want that too.

Despite her reddening ears, a deafening heart beat, and the stupefying tingle in her fingers, Louise, amazingly, had enough control to curl her arms around the blonde's arched spine. The hoodie slipped out from beneath them, and Louise's soft belly was pressed against his firm navel, sending shocks to the both of them. Logan began rolling his pelvis into her core, and her hips did a quick, flinching action - driving their sensitive areas into even closer contact. However, this mere maneuver caused Logan's own response, and their kiss was broken when he snapped up slightly - letting out a whimper. Good lord, she was actually panting right now, arching her neck in the feigned hopes of having their lips reattach. But, instead, Logan slowly drifted his gaze down - chuckling slightly at the pure desperation seen in her heavy lidded gaze. And, without even thinking, he said, in a low, guttural whisper "God, I'll never stop loving you."

"What?"

It was as if a switch had been flipped, and all demanding passion of the situation quickly evaporated. Two sets of wide eyes were looking fearfully into the other, before Logan and Louise scurried away to opposite ends of the car - nervously, shamefully. Absolutely embarrassed about what the hell had just happened. Louise abruptly became aware that she was near naked, and her figure, once near feverish, was now totally chilled to the bone. Once Logan's eyes got used to the heavy darkness, he could discern the shocked expression on the girl's contemplative face, and his gut shriveled out of pure mortification. God, what had he just done?!

"Love's a strong word." She finally remarked, and Logan cringed at the mere tone of her dumbfounded voice.

"Louise, I'm sorry. Please, just forget that I said anything-"

"No." The Belcher flatly quipped. "No, I'm tired of forgetting, and ignoring, and avoiding. All it did was ruin me and Rudy, and it ruined Tina and Henry, and I'm not going to let it ruin us."

Louise inched forward, not breaking her determined stare from the boy. He was growing numb again, pulse raising and ears reddening. Yeesh, the mere closeness of her presence sent Logan over the edge.

"Say it again." She ordered.

"What?"

"Say it again."

"I love you." He croaked. But, after a large gulp of air and deep breath, he spoke again, this time with far more purpose in his once wavering voice. "I love you, Louise Belcher. And you wanna know how I know?"

"How?"

"Because the mere thought of all the things I want to do with you is absolutely overwhelming. And the mere thought of being without you is absolutely damaging. And the mere thought of someone else's hands - hands that aren't mine, that are unwanted and undeserved - is just...just...nauseating. And I know you're young, and maybe not ready to hear something this...drastic. And you don't have to say yes, or even start a relationship with me, or do anything you don't want to do. But I can't go the rest of my life without you knowing that you're absolute perfection to me, and that you don't owe anyone anything, and that you will never, ever be 'the other woman' to me. You'll always be 'the woman'. The only woman."

Louise's dark eyes, strangely piercing through the night, were glaring into Logan's, trying to discern the slightest bit of artificiality or stupidity in his speech. But, as the blonde carried on, he could see her cold, laser sharpness melt away the more it became apparent that this boy was actually being genuine with her. And, like a ray of sunshine bursting through heavy clouds, a smile broke across Louise's face, and she crashed into Logan. Arms tightly wrapped around him, peppering sweet, cheery kisses all across his face. He was laughing, nuzzling himself into the crook of her neck with hands that roamed the strands of her hair. The happiness was staggering, drowning him in a mixture of pleasure and worry - worry over committing the smallest of actions that could absolutely fuck everything up. But there was a far vaster weight that had lifted off the both of them, leaving them light headed and flutter hearted, giggling and laughing like little school children. Nothing could amount to the high they were both awashed in at that moment, one that was sturdy and blissful and so, so wonderful because, for once, life was just full of endless, optimistic possibilities.

"I love you, Logan Barry Bush." Louise whispered into his ear, a tear of hers rolling onto his cheek. But then, she tore away from him - hands holding him out at arm's length. "But I've still got one more debt to pay. But after that I'm all yours."

And then, with one last peck, she hurried off - leaving not only the hoodie that hid her exposed figure, but also her lover, who sat, dumbfounded and confused, in the backseat - unsure of what to do now.


	18. Chapter 18

Tina stepped into a quiet, calm Chinese restaurant. The dim lighting caused a safe feeling to fill the area, it's darkness letting all silent eaters to hide amongst the shadows - illuminated only by each table's flickering candle. Jimmy stepped before her, leading the Belcher over to an inconspicuous area behind some potted plants that seemed to encircle their seating choice. Tina immediately felt a strange, mysterious comfort - especially in the man's presence, whose soft, thoughtful expression was illuminated by a waning glow. Her nerves rested, dulling in the dark's concealment.

"This is nice." She murmured, exhaling slightly.

"Yeah. I come here when I need to destress. I don't even drink or anything. It's just the atmosphere." Jimmy said, obviously relaxing himself.

The two stayed silent for a moment, just wanting to let all previous worries subside with the help of the soothing environment. And, once they were both deemed calm, Jimmy finally spoke.

"After you left, things kinda went downhill. And I don't mean that you were to blame, it was just that without you - or really any of my friends - I kinda lost myself. I never really knew myself as a kid. I was just some insecure brat who would steal of off of Zeke's 'charm'. And yours too. Did you ever notice? How when we were together, I would kinda copy your actions? Play off of you?"

"I...no, actually. But I've been realizing, recently, that I'm kinda oblivious to the world around me."

"Well, that's how I was. And then, once all you guys left - even Zeke, who was busy starting a family with Tammy and what not - I had no one, and no motives. I got involved with the wrong crowd. Well, actually they were an alright crowd. The only issue is that, if you join that crowd, it's really easy to lose yourself. And I guess I did. And not even drugs, just to pure...apathy. No prospects. No motives. I was sleeping around, finding odd jobs, bumming off of others. Hadn't had a serious relationship in who knows how long. That whole lifestyle of having nowhere to go is terrifying, and unstable, and oddly oh-so-addictive. Because there's no stress, or worries, or expectations - well, until your dad kicks you out. Which is what ended up happening. And then I was really screwed, because I owed already too much to my friends, so I couldn't exactly cash in any more favors and stay with them."

"And I guess this all relates to you because, I don't know, you've just given me drive Tina. You've always given me drive. Even when we were kids, like the magic show. I mean, granted, all I did was dance - and when I actually performed, I was planning to dance really, really well just to spite you. But, still, you inspired me. You made me want to be….memorable. Just, before, I thought I was so much better than everyone that I didn't have to have a good personality. I could be an absolute bore, and Tammy or Jocelyn wouldn't even know the difference - you know? I'm sorry, I'm rambling."

"Just, I was waiting for your to come back. Because I thought if you did, then I would get that drive back. Like, literally, I had dreams where you would barge into Pesto's Pizza and I would suddenly have a job - wearing a suit and holding a briefcase. Of course, none of that ever happened. I never got a job, and you never came back."

"I'm sorry, I never knew that you...wanted me to." Tina interjected.

"No, it's alright. I mean, It was my fault. I never called you, or gave any sign that I wanted you. And, after my dad kicked me out, things went from really bad to, well, really, really bad. Jocelyn fell pregnant. And we're not dating. We've never dated. Sammy's whole conception was a drunken, panicked incident that we both regret - not to say that we don't love Sammy. God, do we love Sammy. And, surprisingly, Jocelyn is a good mom. Believe me, during the initial shock that, hey, Jocelyn's pregnant, my first concern was raising a child with a woman so, er, preoccupied with less than important thoughts. But she's good - loving. So, so, so loving. I think, honestly, all Jocelyn has ever wanted to be was a mom. And she helped me through a lot. As soon as we found out I was going to be a dad, Jocelyn's main focus was on getting me...situated. And I was such a dick about it too. I mean, her pregnancy wasn't even enough of a wake up call - no it took something way more drastic to wake me the fuck up."

"Like what?" Tina asked, fully encaptured by the story.

"Their near deaths. Yep, Jocelyn started hemorrhaging during her delivery - something wrong with the placenta - and she and Sammy almost died. It was a really close call, and I just remember a doctor coming out from the delivery room and taking me aside. The asshole couldn't even straight up say that there was a problem, and would avoid the question whenever I asked him it. He just told me to tell our family members that things weren't looking good. And I sat in my car, absolutely stunned - because I had no one to call. Absolutely no one. Both Jocelyn and I had separated ourselves off from the world. And the strangest thing, Tina, is that I thought of you. For no real good reason, either. I just….thought of you, and that night so, so long ago on the beach. And, I don't know, it calmed me. It calmed me through the possibility that I was going to be leaving the hospital without a child or her mother, it calmed me through that whole horrible night spent sleeping in a chair next to Jocelyn. It just calmed me. It was like feeling rain after going through a decade long dehydration. Which sounds dramatic, I know, but that's the best way to describe it. It was just….refreshing."

"But, anyway, Jocelyn and I ended up taking Sammy home - my angel, my everything. He's so sweet, so loving. I don't think he ever stops smiling - even when he has tantrums, 'cause he just end up laughing at himself. And he's got a good heart - which I know all children have - but, I don't know, Sammy is just pure. He's sunshine. He's sunshine after a long, long winter."

"Jimmy, wow." Tina croaked. The distance in his eyes, a kind that showed he was vividly, lovingly reimagining a smiling, happy face. It was a look Tina craved, a look that she had never shown. Not truly, at least. But of all the people she ever expected to see such an authentic gaze from, it was never Jimmy Jr. Times have certainly changed.

"I think that's the first time you said my name without the 'junior' at the end." He murmured, coming back to reality.

"Sorry. Do you dislike it when I call you your full name."

"Never." Jimmy's hand, warm and calloused, enveloped hers, and Tina felt her heart skip a beat. What was going on? Why was he acting this way? Just because he had given his life story, that didn't make them her boyfriend - or even her romantic interest! Though that was a title he really had always carried.

"What does this mean? Why are you telling me this? What's the point of all of this, huh? It doesn't change the fact that I'm still in school, that you're a father, that I'm...I'm…" Tina could feel it on the tip of her tongue, demanding to be said. I'm engaged. As if it were a scandal, as if she actually owed this man anything.

"Look, I told you all this because I wanted to be honest with you, Tina. Because you're honest with people you like. And I like you. I like you a lot. And I know I was a total brat as a kid, and you're in school, and I'm, well, a father. But would you ever bestow me with a date or two?"

Jimmy Jr. really had changed. He wasn't the boy who rejected her advances, who humiliated her so publicly, who she was so sure was the love of her life - staring at her from across a spinning bottle, heavy gaze piercing through the dark but quickly flashing away once Tina returned the look. But here he was, showing a maturity, a responsibility, a change - one that, despite all the improvements it caused, honestly scared her. Because, for once, Tina wasn't the one driving whatever the hell that was going between the two of them. Loving somebody from afar is easy. Safe. Predictable. But once they start loving you back, that's when things get really complicated. And that's what was happening now. All this change and growth was causing somebody, who was practically a total stranger to Tina, to ask her out. She could feel herself concaving, hiding away, fearful of the fact that this wouldn't be predictable Jimmy Jr. anymore. This would be a grown man, one who was far wiser and far more capable of realizing Tina's flaws, her occasional immaturity, her extreme idealism, her inability to accept reality. But, despite all of this - the differences, the obstacles, the improbability - there was something oh-so-tempting about his offer. Because, even through the dim light, she could see it in the man's stare: the boy, so long ago, gazing at her from across a spinning bottle, sending her flourishing, electric voltages that followed her late into the night, infesting her dreams, her diary entries, her precious, whispered secrets.

"Sorry, I'm engaged." Tina blurted out.

As if all oxygen had been slipped from the room, the two became breathless - just out of pure shock. The restaurant, losing it's evasive glamour, suddenly became dangerous and full of an unseen crowd in the darkness, watching and mocking their every move. And the look in Jimmy's eyes disappeared almost as quickly as Tina shuffled out of the restaurant - her rushed steps tapering off into the night.

He sat at the table, so dumbfounded that he was numb to the pain of rejection. But once it began it's flooding onset, he found himself slumping in his seat, hands running through his hair and groaning slightly.

But then a sound - a strange one, pattering feet? - began to rise. It speed up and became louder, and, lifting his head, Jimmy Jr. found it was Tina, hurrying back to the restaurant. Swinging the door open and yelling in that monotone charm of hers, she began her breathless, tumble of words.

"Look, I have a fiance and he's waiting for me back in Chicago which I do actually have to return to because I've got school. But, Jimmy Jr., you've been my crush for two years. You were my first kiss. My first date. My first real romance. My first friend. Yes, of course, I'd love to go out with you."

And then she left, flinched, opened the door one more time to yell "First, I've just gotta leave my fiance. Then I'm yours. Dinner? Tomorrow? At 8? My dad will cook."

"I'd love it." He croaked, beaming at the woman before him.

"Great. I'll see you then."

And then she scuttled off.


	19. Chapter 19

A cantaloupe and lavender colored sunrise tainted the sky as Louise trudged towards her home, a tired expression on her face as she preoccupied her mind with far more important thoughts. Her thighs, her pelvis, her _everything_ hurt due to the horrid night spent with that sweaty creep. Fully living up to the expectation, Hunter made the experience degrading and putrid - but Louise had achieved some strange satisfaction from the whole incident. Not from him, god no. But she had paid her debt - something Louise was never going to be known for skimping out on - and she had made sure that Hunter was never, ever going to cross her again. Use of a disturbingly disfiguring rubber Richard Nixon mask she had happened upon in the closet ensured that. Also, using Hunter's rather small family jewel's as blackmail meant that Louise was in a pretty secure position at the moment. She smiled, wistfully, to herself, recalling how quickly the boy had paled when she deviously hinted at her cruel use of his debilitating package.

"Louise!" A voice called out, echoing dryly due to the warfs vast expansion. For a moment, the haziness of the almost surreal call caused the Belcher to question if she was dreaming. But a second cry, one that rung soundly throughout her, caused Louise to turn and find, appearing just as a speck in the distance, Jessica and Rudy - two aimless dots hurriedly rushing towards her.

Her throat caught - and something welled up within Louise. Not a jealousy, or a rage. No, it was shock. Surprise. Admiration. At herself, at the fact that she _wasn't_ jealous. Not anymore. Because, hey, maybe she was never upset that Rudy had left her. Maybe she was just upset that she had been left. And maybe now that she had someone loving her - a genuine, sweet love - all past pains were just faded scars now. Crazy how quickly all tears dry beneath the sun rays of love.

Without a voice, Louise waved her arms - smiling, proudly, warmly. She caught the dumbfounded look the two shared with each other, surprised by the girl's welcoming nature. Their confusion only seemed to drive them closer though, because now Rudy and Jessica were full on sprinting towards her.

"Louise, tell me you didn't…" Jessica began, trailing off in hopes that Louise would maybe curtly interrupt her - acting offended that the redhead would even assume that a Belcher would ever give into such sick demands.

Instead, Louise only shrugged - smiling with a sleepy, contented look. A look that said, "Yeah, but who gives a fuck." Again, the couple gave each other bewildered looks, which were interrupted by Louise's slight snicker over their confusion - though this only concerned them further.

"Louise, are you alright?" Rudy gingerly questioned. "You seem...drunk."

"I am."

"Ah. There we go."

"I'm drunk in love." She mused, doing a dreamy twirl, before humming softly "We be all night, love love. We be all night, love love…."

"Louise, do you need someone to walk you home?" Jessica asked. "You don't seem...well."

"No. I'm fine. I'm going to be fine for a very long time. You crazy kids shouldn't waste your time on a lil' old lady like me. Go. Be free. Have hot, guchy sex on a dumpster. I don't know. Be young!"

I suppose, in Louise's tingly, overwhelming state of utter joy, this was her way of blessing their union, giving them the permission and the release that they oh-so-desired. Because it was as if a weight, one of heavy guilt and burden, suddenly evaporated. Rudy's posture even straightened slightly, and Jessica felt a bittersweet pang - one that you feel during goodbyes, but sweet ones that signify the closing of doors, and the opening of ones too. As Louise stumbled away, full on belting Beyonce's melodic hit, all three realized an unavoidable truth. They would see each other around, they would say hello, they might even stop for small chat. But this was goodbye. An end to their friendship with the strange, dark haired girl. But not a sad one. No. Only good things could come from this parting. Good, great things.

* * *

Logan's forehead ached from being pressed into the restaurant's table top for so long, the pain waking him from the horrid slumber he had fallen into while waiting for Louise. Lifting up slightly, the stiff discomfort in his neck caused him to wince, and he stretched out his fixed, brittle limbs - finding strange satisfaction in the soft crick-cracking of his joints.

"Ew, you sound like an old man with arthritis." A familiar voice quipped, causing Logan to snap his head towards the origin of the sound so quickly that he actually hurt himself.

Louise sat there, beaming with a large smile that displayed the great contentment she felt towards his surprised reaction. But, through her smug, heavy lidded gaze, he could see the warm, flickering glow of affection. The feelings that had bloomed last night still lingered - just like Louise's spearmint scent on Logan's sheets.

"Louise! God, you have no idea how worried I was after you left!" Logan exclaimed, placing his hand onto hers. She flinched slightly, but then settled into the contact - squeezing his fingers out of confirmation. "What did you do when you returned? Punch Hunter's lights in? Publicly humiliate him? Force a black wig on one of his friends, put him in a bra, and send him into the bedroom while the lights were off?"

"No…-though those are some damn good ideas." Louise said, slightly disheartened that she had failed to think of them first.

"Then what did you do?"

"I payed my debt, Logan. Just like I said I would."

"So you…"

"Smashed? Skronked? Shagged? Skroged?"

"-Fucked?"

"Yes. We did. And it was a sweaty, floppy, awful and, thankfully, very short experience that I never want to do again….at least with anyone that isn't you." She remarked, a devious smile curling on her lips near the end. But despite Louise's wonderful coyness, Logan was still pale of all color and with the a mind that was slurring beyond belief.

"But you guys...actually did it? You saw his wang, and he...was _inside_ you-"

"-Logan, it doesn't matter anymore." Louise said, now with a far more serious tone, clasping her hands onto the blonde's cheeks and placing her forehead against his. "I'm yours. And I plan to be for a very long time."

A sigh of compromise left the boy, as he felt himself lean more into the touch of her head against his. The downtrodden look in his piercing blue eyes sent Louise's gut sinking, and, in hopes of lifting the boy's spirits, she deviously murmured "And you don't have to worry about Hunter wanting seconds…"

"Why's that?" Logan asked, cocking an eyebrow and grinning insidiously, pulling away from the Belcher, but intertwining their fingers to keep the contact.

"Let's just say use of a rubber Richard Nixon mask and some rather degrading pet names is going to prevent Hunter from even looking me in the eye for a very, very long time."

The two chuckled slightly, though when the laughter died out, Logan's slick stare melted into a familiar concerned, saddened look. This was the moment, the moment that Logan could either choose to forget that his love, his crush, his _girlfriend_ had just slept with another guy - a slimy guy too, whose sweat and disgust was soaked into her flesh, infesting Logan when they were curled up beneath sheets, infesting her dreams in the night, infesting her memories years from now, preventing her from forgetting this whole horrid period. Or he could hold onto it, this putrid secret, which reeked through their thoughts, their conversations, their relationship, the stench forming an unseen rift between them and making them seem stranger and stranger to the other everyday.

"A Richard Nixon mask?" He quipped, hands sliding up her forearms. The mere touch reassured Louise that everything was alright. That what she had just done with another boy didn't blind Logan from who she was: his true love.

"Yep."

"You wouldn't happen to still have this mask, now would you?"

"Sorry, no. Why do you ask, Logan Barry Bush?"

"Oh, I just happen to have a fetish for saggy, conservative, impeached presidents."

"Oh really?"

"Really. And, if you don't mind, I will now require that every single time we have sex, here after, that you wear the before-mentioned mask, a red tie, and yell 'I am not a crook' while holding out a peace sign. How does that sound, Mrs. Belcher?"

The two were inching towards each other from across the table, eyes locked on the other, sensible thoughts becoming hazy, and heart beats growing louder and louder.

"Fine, Mr. Barry Bush. Just fine. Hell, on President's Day I'll take you to the Watergate hotel and buy you a puppy named 'Checkers'."

"Why not take it even further? Put me in a black wig, stained skirt, and call me 'Monica'? When you come you can say, in a southern accent of course, 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman'."

"I'll need my Bill Clinton mask for that."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Yes. Yes, it does."

* * *

Unknown to the infatuation infested love birds, just up above them three people sat, ears to downward facing cups placed on the floor as they craned their necks best the could, so as to hear what was going on.

"Does anyone know what they're even saying?" Linda asked, eyes beginning to squint the more she tried to make out the strange conversation going on beneath her.

"Something about...fetishes…?" Tina murmured.

"And the Watergate scandal…?" Gene added.

"Oh for the love of - what are you three doing _now_?" Bob said, entering the living room to find his family with their rumps in the air and not even flinching by his presence.

"Easy, Bobby. We're just trying to see what our dear Louise is up to."

"Oh come on, Lin. You really need to stop getting so involved with the kids' business. What's theirs is theirs and…" He trailed off, fetching his own cup to place onto the floor, magnifying the noise beneath them.

"Are they…?"

"Oh my god…"

"I think I might be sick."

"Wait, what's happening? I don't get it!" Bob whined, unsure as to why his family was becoming so mortified all of a sudden.

"They're _punning,_ Bobby."

"What's so bad about puns?"  
"Oh, Dad, no. Just - no."

"What? I don't get it."

"You will when you're older, sweetie."

"Gene, I'm older than you."

"I like puns too, Dad!"

"See, Tina's on my side - thanks, Tina."

"I think puns are _quip_ larious."

"Oh no, that...that was just bad."

"They're _wit_ tiful."

"Please stop."

As the four Belcher members began their frivolous competition of rather pathetic puns, the couple beneath them soon trailed off in their talk of fetishes and political scandals, the touch of each other's palms, lips, and skin offering far more sensational sensations than those achieved through pointless, albite humorous, talk. Honestly, in that moment, it seemed as if all of Ocean Avenue fell into a tranquil, content state. Jimmy Jr., sipping his coffee as he attempted to feed his daughter apple sauce, pondering about how his much anticipated date with the girl living across from him would go. Hunter, skateboarding past the house, feeling a searing blush forming in his cheeks, as he recalled the humiliating events of last night - and the even more embarrassing fact that yesterday's tantalizing incidents were oddly….arousing. Or two redheads, Jessica and Rudy, that canoodled on a bench, blessing the bunny ear wearing girl that had absolved them of all heavy burdens.

All was well, and would be for a good, long time.

* * *

 _Whew, end of an era! This is the final chapter to "Louise's Debt". Thank you for all the lovely and helpful reviews, I'm **extremely** grateful. However, I do plan to add to this story - this time with various oneshots that jump around in Louigan's relationship, both before and after "Louise's Debt". So if you want to see more of my interpretation on the couple, then stick around and (hopefully) enjoy my future rambles!_

 _Thank you again to all those who read, it really meant the world to me._


	20. Mornings

Typically, mornings in the Belcher family consisted of Bob waking to find Tina scribbling out some friend fiction in her room, while Louise and Gene punched out notes on his son's beloved Casio SK-5 keyboard. Though Louise wasn't one for songwriting, she only participated in the act in hopes that, one day, she would produce one of the most ominous, gut curdling themes out there - which would then be played whenever she entered a room. Also, in Louise's eyes, music making was far better of an activity rather than singing musical numbers with Linda as she cooked breakfast. They would be sprawled out on the living room floor, making horrible tunes that involved dog barks and flatulence, intermingled with the sound of Linda's sizzling frying pan and her offkey belting, and the fast paced scrawling of Tina's pen on paper. It was Bob's favorite sound, his favorite melody - a song he wanted on constant repeat, because that was just the very definition of home for him.

Of course, this all occurred when they were kids - short, small forms of endless energy and boundless optimism, inspiring Bob everyday and unsatisfied with what life had to offer them. But now, they were adults - learning the harsh truth about compromise and feeling themselves tire more and more. The change was gradual: Gene drifted away from playing music in the home, now far too preoccupied as a sound technician to focus on such things. Tina, rather than writing friend fiction, laying on her bed with ankles swinging in the air, was now writing on the latest political scandals while laying on _Jimmy Jr.'s_ bed, with ankles swinging in the air. And Louise - oh, Louise. She wasn't marching down the hall, barking out military commands, or coming up with elusive schemes to steal all prohibited coffee, or even attempting to pick the various locked compartments that Bob kept from his kids. She was down in the basement, resting beside the busboy.

On occasion Bob would go down there - completely forgetting that the room no longer contained just Logan, who, fast asleep with his rump in the air and drool falling from his mouth, could dream right on through a bomb exploding, but now contained Logan _and_ Louise - who was always capable of picking up on the slightest of sounds. However, it seemed when Louise slept with her boyfriend by her side, she was near coma - the mere presence of the blonde offering so much comfort that he brought down her protective guard. More surprisingly, the two weren't _always_ naked. Yes, sometimes there were - the sheets brazenly exposing the busboy's left butt cheek, and the tip of his daughter's boldly patterned bra barely exposed to the world. But other times, they would be clothed in pajamas - both wearing oversized concert tees and stained sweatpants.

This confused Bob. He had heard of teenagers sneaking into each other's beds for some "steamy" and scandalous visits. Hell, he had even done it himself, stumbling and tripping up a rusty, rickety fire escape in the pitch dark just to enter his ex's bedroom. But never had he heard of kids going through all the trouble of sneaking into another's bed, squishing together on a twin sized mattress, and enduring the extreme heat that comes with bunk sharing - all just to cuddle up to each other. But, apparently, his youngsters were fully willing to do this, not once mentioning complaints about such burdens. And, when morning came, Louise would exit the bathroom - acting as if she hadn't just woken up in a boy's bedroom, and wouldn't even mention where she was last night.

Between Louise and Logan, there were no petty arguments about sheet hogging, or bruises from kicking feet, or even purple, pulsating hickeys. No, it was almost as if they two weren't dating - but everyone knew the truth. That when they were alone, their childish bickering would turn into either some frenching frenzy, or a soft, delicate conversation. Granted, there was no hard evidence of this. But it was just apparent through the look in their eyes: a warm, soft, glowing gaze - one of constant familiarity, both with each other's minds, and bodies. And he could see it in his daughter, that fear of looking at the boy for too long. It was like staring at the sun, as if looking for an extended period of time would result in her melting into warm, love infested mush - leaking into the grooves of the tiled floor and dripping down the edges.

Gene one time commented that, after leaving his megaphone in the basement, he went down there to find the two whispering beneath the bedsheet - use of a flashlight making their fort a glowing, warm emblem through the darkness. Based on their silhouettes, Gene deduced that they weren't even engaging in any sort of promiscuous acts. Rather, they were just talking and….making shadow puppets: two bunny rabbits, giving each other sweet, delicate little kisses as they talked in high pitched, well mannered voices. It was an almost adorable sight, something Gene never figured he would see from his tenacious sister.

And on Sundays - Sundays alone - Bob would wake early enough, having finally gotten enough sleep from last night to do so, to hear Louise's descent to her room. Due to the odd piping and spacing of the house, Bob managed to catch the restaurant's various sounds quite well, and could listen to their murmured whispers. Logan, passing small kisses onto her cheek, and her mumbling something - something very, very sweet. Bob wasn't sure what, but it was definitely tender, as her voice would waver, and grow softer and mushy. He couldn't ever remember hearing his daughter become so sentimental. But he reasoned that only love could really bring a person to such a vulnerable state.

"Do you listen to them too?" Lin murmured, still having not shaken the sleep from her voice.

"Yeah. You?"  
"All the time."

His wife rolled into his arms. He could feel a smile curling on her lips against his neck, and he felt his own grin begin to appear.

"Everything's become so quiet, Bobby. Tina's gone, Gene's busy, and Louise is….off in loveland."  
"Yeah. But it's a good quiet."  
"A peaceful quiet."  
"Yeah. Really peaceful." He breathed out, feeling a bubbling, near overwhelming, elation well up within him. "And, besides, one day they'll have grandkids."  
"Ah, excellent. Then the noise will finally return."  
"And we'll be waiting."


	21. Toy Car

She could feel the calming, repetitive sensation of a toy car's wheels rolling down her swollen, protruding belly. Logan's hands, large and define at every arch - skin bunching up at the joints, and stretching out at the ball of his wrist, enveloped the vehicle. Having to pinch it with just two fingers so as to not completely encase the model, he drove it down Louise's tummy, particularly favoring the dip just before her navel, and then reversing right on back - which always seemed to tickle her bare flesh.

Such a round protrusion, radiating a searing heat beneath thin skin. Logan could feel it in the dead of night, the abrupt excretion of warmth that would cause the both of them to break out into sweats. Sometimes, it would wake the two, causing the couple to eye their babe and wonder everything and anything: was he going to be a fiery spastic: running up the walls and keeping his parents preoccupied with an endless chase? Or a reserved brainiac: spewing out random facts and inhaling whatever book he could grasp? Or maybe an artist: contemplating various sculptures, commenting on pretentious art forms, and hiding his crude sense of humor from the assorted high class painters he associated with?

"Maybe he'll be just like Bob." Logan murmured, lips pressed to the bare belly, though he was speaking to Louise.

"What? Cynical and pitiful?" She sneered, not looking away from the magazine she held up in the lamp's hazy glow.

"Yes. But, also, reserved, and humble, and...magnetic."  
"You find my father magnetic?"  
"For a lack of a better word - yes." He breathed out as he stretched his lanky, lyth limbs, rolling onto his sore shoulder blades - giving him an excellent view of how the lighting's soft rays illuminated his love's eyes to be, rather their usual dark color, a soft, hazel. He hoped their son would have her tranquil, tawny irises. "Or, I guess, charming. You can't deny that he always seems to attract adventure-"  
"-More like trouble."  
"That too. But at least our kid would have a full life. Just like yours."  
"And yours too."  
"Oh, I wish my childhood was just as cool. I never got to go snake hunting in Florida, or fight off weird music festival hippies, or ride sea planes, or anything like that. I listened to my mom go on drunken rants about my dad's 'cheapness' while I counted the embroidered pineapple designs on our couch."  
"What about that time a motorcycle gang almost cut off your ears?" She said, hiding her smug smile behind the magazine.

"That was _very_ exciting. But it was also because of you."  
"So? It was exciting. That's all that matters."  
"Yeah. But life didn't really get exciting until you came in."

Louise swatted the magazine onto the bed, revealing a heavily flattered smile on her face, one that oozed affection and tenderness. From his position, Logan reached out a hand to stroke his love's face, before tracing the fine smile with his calloused thumb. He could feel a new sort of warmth, one that may have just been her love - so powerful that it had to radiate out in a physical form, infesting his skin, making his bones go weak and soft.

"Our baby is going to have such happy parents."

"Very happy."


	22. Hospital

_Sorry that this isn't about Louise and Logan, but this whole idea just came in to my head and I **had** to write it down. _

* * *

Louise had always hated the hospital: a building for the dying, accompanied with arsenic green tinted lights and a sickening, sweet smell from the cleaning supplies that made her gut wrench. Even now, huddled up in a chair, she was clenching her stomach, hoping the grip was so strong it would prevent her own lunch from spewing all about the tiled floor. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be home. She wanted to be with _Logan_.

 _Suck it up, baby,_ she hissed at herself, frightening an elderly woman who sat two chairs away. But Louise didn't care, not even enough to smile at herself - admiring the fact that she had just scared a stranger, something that used to please her when she was a little girl. But now, all that infested her thoughts was her father - shriveled and wasting away, laying on top a bed with various translucent tubes tangled up in his mouth. Fish belly white and bloated in the belly, and decaying by the mere second. She felt pressured, she felt like she wasn't doing enough - that she wasn't doing anything at all.

But what could be done? She didn't have a cure for pneumonia, or an ability to heal on command. Or even the capacity to make her own father smile. Because he was dying, and who the fuck smiles when they now they're not going to make it out of the hospital. When they now they're not returning home, and they didn't even get to savor the last moments within their residence. And even if Bob had gotten that chance, would he have actually left? Would he have to be pryd from the grill, unwilling to go to this sickening, saddening place of doubt? Probably. That's what Louise would do. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, now does it?

A voice calls out her name, saying she can see her father now. But the Belcher can't even look her nurse in the eye. She can't even move. Tears forming in her red rimmed, purple bagged eyes, lips pursing tighter and tighter that she might never even be capable of speaking again. Her nails were digging into her wrist, commanding her to move, to stop being such a fucking coward all the time. To see her father one last time. But she couldn't, she couldn't. How was she suppose to stand such a sight, to see her old protector, her one hero - dying. Waning. Leaving - no, _abandoning_ her. How the hell was she suppose to do this alone?!

"Okay." She croaked, lifting from her seat. Her feet carried her into the room. She wasn't thinking anymore, just a floating drone incapable of forming any thought besides automatic commands. Until she stepped into the doorway, and the sight before her - it was like a punch to the gut, absolutely winding her. She was breathless, gasping for air and desperately trying to catch her groundings. But all she could do was blubber and sputter, unsure of what to do with the sleeping form before her, who couldn't even offer his own words of comfort, seeing as he was too busy managing the gagging tubes tucked down his throat. Her knees were wobbling, her sight becoming blurry. Seconds from spilling across the floor, she swung out a hand to rest on the wall, feeling a hot trail of tears sprint down her colorless cheeks as she stared out at the man before her.

"Wow." Was all she could croak. Just "wow".

And then she sobbed her heart out.


	23. The Exes

"Oh my god, Logan."

"No, Louise."

"Come on. Just tell me."

"Louise, no. This is only going to end badly."  
"Oh, for the love of - just tell me. You're making this so much harder than it has to be."  
"I'm not telling you how many ex's I have."  
The two had been going in circles, staying up in the wee hours of night and completely forgetting about the friendly game of poker they were once so focused on, after the topic of past relationships was briefly mentioned. Oh so briefly. And yet, Louise was determined to stay on it.

"Come on, Logan. It's so not fair that you know how many ex's I have, but I don't know about how many you've had."  
"The only reason I know is because you two started dating after I moved in!"  
"So? I still would've told you if we dated before I met you."  
"Really?"  
"Really."

"I don't believe you."

"I - what is your - Logan, there is no way for me to prove this to you! You've just gotta take my word."  
"Word. Shmurd. I ain't giving you, jack."

"Logan, I will never have sex with you again if you don't tell me how many girls you've dated right now."

With this, though boy was drained of all color. Going stiff in the spine, he stared out vacantly with a look of pure, absolute terror - before his face abruptly scrunched into that of suspicion.

"You're bluffing."  
"Are you really willing to take that risk?"  
He glared at her some more, the stare between the two become more intense until they ended up knocking heads - not even aware of the fact that they were leaning in closer and closer, as they were far too focused on making the other "crack".

"Ugh, fine. You win!" He groaned, rubbing the now sensitive area on his temple.

"Yes!" The Belcher cheered. "Now, you can't just give me a number. I want names - full names. And ages, both yours and the girls-"

"-ex's."

"Whatever. I just want the nitty-gritty, Barry Bush!"

"Okay, what counts as an ex though? Because if we're just looking at a long-term relationship, than I've only been in three - and two of them were in middle school."

"Who's the other girl?"  
"You, dumbass!"  
"Oh yeah. Right. Okay, how many girl-"  
"-people."

"-Have you been romantic with?"

"Oh. That...I can't count that. Sorry."  
"Oh my god., Logan. I still can't believe that you were once a womanizer."  
"Why? Do I not seem very suave to you?" He sneered, lifting his eyebrows and giving a smug grin. Flatly, she responded "Uh, no. Not at all."

"What? You even saw a couple of my….womanized women."  
"You mean the disappointed blondes who snuck out while you were sleeping?"

"Yeah. Those girls. Who were disappointed that they didn't get to marry this dick-" He howled like some drunken fraternity member, but then stopped himself - becoming abruptly polite and shy, practically concaving in within himself with a mannerly, sweet smile. Louise could barely contain the almost proud look she shot at her boyfriend.

"Okay, okay. How many girls have you had genuine feelings for?"  
"Alright, yeah. I can answer that. Let's see…" The blonde thought for a moment, eyes up to the ceiling as he pondered. "Okay. First there was Maggie Smith, from third grade. Absolutely smitten with her, but she took Michael Vander's Valentine's Day card over mine because it had more candy. Totally broke my heart."

"Let's not evaluate too much on elementary."  
"Okay, uh, middle school then. I was madly in love with a girl named Jacy High, but to make her jealous I dated her best friend, Vanessa Carlton. This backfired though, as Jacy didn't know I even really existed, and Vanessa had actually had this total, full out crush on me since….forever. So I ended up being in a year long relationship with this girl who constantly wanted piggy backs, all while I flirted with her best friend."  
"Wow. Sounds like a real Woody Allen flick. How'd it end?"  
"No, it totally was, like, super 'Woody Allen'. Because I kissed Jacy, and she admitted that she was gay - and in love with Vanessa."  
"Oh my god, how'd Vanessa react?"  
"I mean, I imagine pretty damn well considering now they're living together with two dogs."  
"Ooh, ouch. You got rejected and dumped. Who else?"  
"Okay, there's the woman I lost it to. You know all about her. Later, in middle school, I was with some chick named Maria. She was really air headed, but it was cool. She was fun. Taught me how to skateboard. It didn't mean much, but she was still, like, a serious girlfriend. I mean, I didn't cheat on her. She ended up moving back to California. And then in high school I had a thing with this chick named Tanya, and she was super, I dunno, punk rock. Going to all these mosh pits and doing drugs and stuff. I mostly hung out with her to piss off my mom, but when we started hooking up I developed, I guess, genuine feelings. Like, when I look back on them now I realize how stupid I was being, and how whiny she could be. But her parents sent her to some correctional boarding school. We promised to call each other. We didn't. Then there was my teacher, Mrs. Forth, who I had an 'affair' with while hooking up with Tanya."

"Wow. Logan, you were a real...scoundrel."

"Whom you love very much."  
"Gross. Just get on with the story."  
"Okay, so I had the affair with Mrs. Forth. She was okay. It wasn't entirely genuine on either side, so I don't know if this really counts. But, I mean, we both risked our reputations and what not for the affair - so it must've meant something. And then after her came a slew of various steamy romances with cheerleaders and female friends. But those didn't really mean much, for both me and the girl - except for Eva Trainer."  
"Who's Eva Trainer?" Louise asked, with much witty enthusiasm.

"She was really...dorky."

"What kinda dorky? Like the adorable dorky where she has funny camera poses, self-deprecating humor, and cutesy clothes? Or real dorky: full on waibu, acne covered, theater loving, sweat pant wearing dorky."  
"The second one. Completely. Super obsessed with Sailor Moon too."  
"I'm obsessed with Sailor Moon, jack ass."  
"Exactly." He said, pinching her nose as if she were a child. "But she was cute. Like, she ended up being cute. It's this whole...thing…"  
"Ooh. Do tell!"  
"Like she had a crush on me, but I rejected her because she was, not only, super dorky, but also two years younger than me - which in high school, that's like two centuries. But then she went full on in love with me, and would just bluntly tell people she had a crush on me. Like she literally introduced me as 'Logan Bush: love of my life'."

"And what did you do?"

"I mean, I ignored her. Eventually, I just accepted it and became super blatant about the fact that I hated her. And then... I just came to expect it, you know. That constant love and affection. It was weird, but it wasn't a burden. She wasn't like a stalker. I mean, she did stalk me, and looked at all instagram pics and one time followed me home. But she was never dangerous, or controlling. Like, I would make out with girls in front of her - and she would have complaints, but she wasn't obnoxious about it and she wouldn't ever try to stop me from being with other chicks."  
"Oh my god, why aren't you with this girl!?"  
"What? Because I'm with you!"  
"Oh my god, please don't tell me you chose me over her - because if so, you gotta get her back."

"Uh, Louise-"  
"-I mean, I'm not going to lose you or anything. Maybe we could work something out or-"

"-Louise, no way-"

"-We could have a threeway!"  
"Louise!"

"Jeezus, continue." She said, slightly startled by Logan's urgency to continue.

"This happened a long time ago. Back in high school and if you would let me finish the story, then you would understand."  
"Fine. Fine. Go on."  
"Okay, so I ended up returning feelings for this total dork, but I wouldn't admit them. Not even to myself. And I was turning down literal Megan Fox look alikes for this girl, and when I finally confessed to her…."  
"What? What happened!?"  
"She turned me down."  
"What!? Why!?"  
"I don't know. I still don't know. She just did. And then we just stopped talking. Like, she full on ignored me after that. And always looked super guilty whenever she saw me. I don't know what happened. And right after she started dating this guy that she like totally hated."

"What!? I - no - what - did this girl have a really low self-esteem?"  
"Extremely."

"Then she must've been like, I dunno, punishing herself, or whatever chicks do now these days, and dated that that other idiot to like - ugh, I'm so mad!"  
"Why?" He laughed, admiring the sight of his fuming girlfriend, who stomped about like a small child.

"Because, ugh, that's like such a good love story!"  
"Better than our's?"  
"Way better, bucko!"  
"Ouch."  
"Why are you saying 'ouch'!? You gotta experience the love story of a lifetime! I got celibacy with some dweeb in love with my best friend, and then...then…."  
"And then me." Logan said, crossing his arms, with a smug grin. "What, princess? Am I, the great, womanizing Logan, not good enough for you?"  
Louise mumbled something, grumpily tripping over her words and trying to hide the blush rising in her cheeks - before practically head butting Logan to the floor, and then tightly squeezing him.

"You're everything to me." She angrily murmured into his ear, causing a wide grin to fill the boy's face, before she stamped a soppy, wet kiss into his smiling cheek - one that made Logan squeal like a small, gleeful child. And then Louise abruptly snapped away from him, shuffling awkward in her seating position and doing her best to hide the rushing blush of her cheeks beneath thick strands of dark hair. Once the blooming of red seemed to wilt away, she exhaled, far more composed now, and tucked all loose strands behind her ears. With a quizzical side eyed glance and devious tone, she murmured, "But I noticed something that was also very interesting, Barry Bush…."

"My extreme good looks? My charm? The highly believable possibility that I, Logan Barry Bush, am secretly a seductive secret agent who mentored Mr. Bond in all his womanizing, mysterious ways? Hm?"

"No, actually. I noticed that you've made a point of correcting me whenever I say you've only dated women."  
He looked like a deer caught in headlights, suddenly frozen in terror and Louise almost broke out in giggles at the flurry of panic which so obviously raced through his mind. And then, he switched to a faked, calm disposition, one that tried to look so relaxed that it actually appeared a tad uncomfortable - seeing as he arched his back at an angle that would make even gymnasts wince.

"I hadn't noticed."

"Come on, Logan. Spill the beans! Who'd you have wild, crazed butt sex with that you, oh so secretly enjoyed, but can no longer hide your passion for!"  
"My dear Belcher, are you insinuating that you want me to leave you for a man?"  
"Not leave. Never leave. Just...have a threeway with." She said, with a cheeky stare and one hell of a cocky-ass grin. God, sometimes they were so similar that it literally startled the boy.

"You are really smitten on that whole threeway thing, aren't you, buddy?"  
"Yep. And also on who the hell this mysterious man - or, possibly, men - is...slash 'are'." She said, leaning across her own folded up legs to eye her boyfriend with a sly, curious smile. Logan, know lying on his back and resting on one elbow, drew out an overly long sip from a plastic cup - making sure to raise his eyebrows at the perfect level so as to scream "poshness" through his mere facial expression. He had learned the art of doing this from his mother, who was a master of such a visage- however, she usually had a wine glass in her hand whenever she made the look, which helped her out considerably. Finally, abruptly setting free a crude belch, he answered.

"Sasha."

Logan sputtered at just how big Louise's eyes got, causing her to resemble something of a potoo bird shocked by an approaching predator. She ignored his obnoxious chortling, instead trying to regain what little composure she usually retained by clearing her throat and settling the eyebrows that had just shot so quickly up into the air.

"Sasha." Louise repeated.

"Yep. Sasha."  
"Of King's Heads Island?"  
"The very same."  
"Hm." She took a long pause, looking out at some invisible view, before gulping down the last of whatever beer was in Logan's cup. "Honestly, I'm not all that surprised."  
"Really?"

"Yeah. Really. I've never met a straight man with that much class and wit."  
"Ahem. What about me, honey?"

"Well, one: you don't have that much class and wit. Not even an ounce of it. And, two: I believe we just established that you, sir, are not straight."  
"Okay. That's a bit far…"  
"What? Is there something wrong with being gay, my dear Logan?"  
"Of course not. I just don't wanna label it, you know?"  
There was a moment of intense silence between the two, and then a harmonious wince over just how pretentious that last line sounded.

"Okay, ignoring the annoying hipster-ness found in that sentence, you know what I mean, right?"  
"Yeah. I do actually. You just...love, right?"  
"Yeah. Exactly. Doesn't matter who. If I fall in love with a woman, than I'll be with her. And if I fall in love with a man, than I'll be with him. It's just ended up being that I've fallen in love with one woman in particular-"

"-Oop. Wait. Before we get back to our lovely, hetero relationship and whatever, let's just talk a little bit more about Sasha, shall we? Yes, I think we shall - okay then, how'd it happen?"  
"Okay, well, we didn't actually have sex if that's what you're asking. At least, not, like, butt sex."  
"Than what did you have, my dear?"  
"I dunno…" He said, bashfully even - the only time Logan had actually shown any shyness during the entire conversation about his sex life. "We went skinny dipping at his pool. We frenched. We...talked about sex. And…"  
"And….?" Louise said, the playful eager in her voice now dripping off every word.

"And we may have discussed giving each other a blowie."  
"And…?!"  
"And...then done so."

And then there was just silence. Louise quivering with glee, lips pursed so tightly that she burned white - desperate to contain whatever high-pitched squeals festered within her. And then, in an almost mannerly fashion, she lifted from her perch and whispered "I have to go make a phone call."  
"Louise Belcher, you are not asking Sasha about a threesome!" Logan demanded, throwing out an arm to cling to her socked ankle - which barely managed to grapple on in time before Louise could skitter out of the room, giggling feverishly all the while. She slipped and thudded onto the floor, laughing and mumbling excitedly as Logan, despite the Belcher's desperate attempts to escape his grasp, tugged her, by the leg, to rest beneath him. Pinning her down by the wrists, he firmly planted a kiss onto her lips - one that not even Louise would dare attempt to escape. Not for all the threeways in the world.


	24. Important Update!

I'm currently making a sequel to "Louise's Debt" called "Leaving" (I can't seem to post a link which is _super_ annoying, but you can find it on my profile).

Please, please, _please_ take a look at it and comment and so on. I'm taking a far different approach with this sequel, writing it in the form of quick vignettes and I want to see what others think of it. I won't stop posting one shots on this story, but I might take a brief hiatus while writing the sequel. Thanks :)


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